Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Nutrition and Physical Activity
The Food and Healthy Living 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. This body of work forms an integral part of the Government's prevention agenda and has strong links to work on overweight and obesity issues and the prevention of chronic diseases.
Nutrition and Healthy Eating links
What is public health nutrition and healthy eating?
Public health nutrition focuses on nutrition issues affecting the whole population, rather than the specific dietary needs of individuals. Public health nutrition encompasses a wide range of issues such as food production, distribution and consumption. In addition, it focuses on the nutritional status and health of particular population groups, together with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours in the general community.A healthy eating pattern is fundamental to the maintenance of good health and well being. Healthy eating benefits almost every aspect of our health, throughout our lifetime. While many Australians enjoy a varied and healthy diet, there is still considerable room for improvement. Health problems that are linked to poor eating patterns, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, place an enormous burden on individuals, families and society as a whole.