New Dietary Guidelines

The Australian Dietary Guidelines set the recommended consumption levels of the five food groups for healthy adults to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is based on the fact that people will also exercise regularly and not smoke.

These Guidelines are an important tool for food manufacturers, governments, dieticians, nutritionists, medical professionals

It has been eight years since the last review and Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has just released it’s newly revised draft dietary guidelines.

The draft is based on a review of more than 55000 scientific journal articles and other research by the NHMRC team.

The new draft includes a few significant changes to the current Dietary Guidelines;

Increased intake of some food groups – Australians need to increase their consumption of vegetables and fruit, as well as whole grain foods and reduced fat milk products.

Changes in types of food groups consumed by different people – women generally need to consume more red meat to increase iron intake, whilst males generally need to reduce the amount of meat eaten.

Reduction in consumption of energy rich /nutrient poor foods – this is particularly for those foods that are either high in saturated fat, salt or sugar or combination. A particular focus is on limiting the consumption of sugar sweetened drinks.

With the rapid increase of obesity in our community, the NHMRC has focussed on foods that are recognised to be contributors to this and the increase in health related issues like, diabetes. It is believed that obesity is in some way implicated in more than 56percent of all deaths in this country and costs at least A$8 billion a year.

Feedback and comment about the draft guidelines has been very positive to date.

The public and all stakeholders are invited to make comment until 29 February 2012 about the draft by going to www.eatforhealth.gov.au

The NHMRC expects that the new Dietary Guidelines will be released later in 2012 and it will be a requirement that all food manufacturers must then follow them.