Healthy Eating for a Healthy Australia

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PDF Printable version of Healthy Eating for a Healthy Australia (PDF 176 KB)

5 May 2012

Addressing leaders in science, research, medicine, healthcare and public health in Melbourne at the second International Conference on Science of Nutrition in Medicine and Healthcare today, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing Catherine King urged Australians to think carefully about their food and nutrition choices.

"We want people to consume less saturated fat, sugar and sodium and to lower the energy content of many common foods they consume," Ms King said. "And we want to see an increase in the fibre, wholegrain, fruit and vegetables consumed.

"Through our National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health, we are providing more than $872 million over six years to promote healthy lifestyle programs in workplaces, communities and children’s settings.

"We are disseminating information through social marketing campaigns—such as Measure Up.

"The Gillard Government is committed to achieving real and lasting preventive outcomes, and this requires collaboration with other sectors, including the food industry."

"We have already chalked up some significant health achievements with industry through the Food and Health Dialogue. For example manufacturers have agreed to reduce sodium (salt) across a range of bread products, breakfast cereals, simmer sauces, processed meats, soups and savoury pies.

Ms King reiterated to the conference that the Government is working hard on food labelling issues to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information to make healthy food choices, and revising dietary guidelines to reflect the latest available scientific evidence.

"The Conference is an excellent opportunity to discuss and highlight the importance of nutrition in reducing the prevalence of non-communicable diseases and the significant long-term health benefits of a balanced diet."

For more information, contact the parliamentary secretary’s office on 02 6277 4230