Nutrition and Physical Activity

This section of the website contains information on nutrition and healthy eating, physical activity and promoting healthy weight.

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
The Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Programs Branch is responsible for developing and evaluating national policy, resources and initiatives in the areas of nutrition and healthy eating, health promoting physical activity and promoting healthy weight.

Physical Activity
Regular physical activity has many health benefits and plays an important role in promoting healthy weight. It can help prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, and also improve psychological well-being. The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Australians outline the minimum levels of physical activity required for health benefits and ways to incorporate physical activity into everyday life..

Promoting Healthy Weight
Promoting healthy weight focuses on the prevention and management of overweight and obesity. In Australia, the 1995 National Nutrition Survey showed that some 56% of the adult population (18 years and over) were overweight, with 19% of these classified as obese.