Role of the Government in promoting healthy eating

1. Role of the Government in promoting healthy eating I wish someone would offer me a low fat slice of cake to have with this cuppa!

2. Public Health Public Health is concerned with the whole community rather than just the individual. The public health approach : • Promotes health & prevents disease by managing community’s environment • Promotes healthy lifestyle • Targets populations that are particularly vulnerable to disease or malnutrition • Requires collaboration of the public, consumers, policy makers and health professionals as well as the involved organisations (government and non-government organisations)

3. The role of the government in promoting healthy eating • To respond to immediate health issues E.g. through raising awareness, increasing funding to particular medical areas AND • To develop policy and guidelines that will address future health issues E.g. The Australian Guide to Health Eating

4. SIGNAL The Strategic Inter-Governmental Nutrition Alliance The nutrition part of the National Public Health Partnership Aim: to direct and coordinate national nutrition strategies.

5. Four Main Focuses of SIGNAL • Develop and implement national public health and nutrition strategies - eg Eat Well Australia • Promote vegetable and fruit consumption • Develop, promote and evaluate national guidelines - eg The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating • Develop communication and information sharing networks.

6. Main initiatives developed by SIGNAL • Eat Well Australia • The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating • The Dietary Guidelines for Australians

7. Developed by SIGNAL • A public health nutrition framework & agenda • Aim: to improve nutrition in Australia and reduce the burden of diet related disease • HOW??? • By taking a national approach to public health nutrition, it allows greater consistency and organisation of government policy and strategy across Australia.

8. Eat Well Australia5 main health priorities • Preventing overweight and obesity • Increasing the consumption of vegetables and fruit • Promoting optimal nutrition for women, infants and children • Improving nutrition for vulnerable groups - Eg rural and isolated populations, low income groups and Indigenous Australians • Addressing structural barriers to safe and healthy food.

9. Government Strategies to address the Eat Well initiative ‘Promote healthy eating in school aged children’ • Go for 2 and 5 • Kids Go for Your Life • Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents • Nutrition programs in schools • Body image and eating disorder programs • Healthy school canteen policies/programs • Review of the Code of Advertising during children’s television • Kids in the Kitchen Project • Market gardens in schools • Traffic lights in labeling.

10. What are some Government Strategies to address the other Eat Well initiatives?? • Promoting vegetable and fruit consumption: • Promoting healthy weight: • Promoting good nutrition for mothers: • Improving nutrition to vulnerable groups:

11. Dietary Guidelines for Australians • Provide advice to the general population about healthy eating • Because we have different dietary requirements at different stages of the life span they have developed: • Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia • Dietary Guidelines for Australian adults • Dietary Guidelines for older Australians

12. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating • Funded by the Commonwealth Department as part of the National Food and Nutrition Policy. • An educational tool to help Australians to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for choosing a healthy diet • Based on the Australians Dietary Guidelines and the • Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDIs) • 5 segments to represent the food groups in proportions • necessary for a varied and nutritious diet • Accompanied by a guide of what is a serve of each • food group and how many serves you require daily