A fresh perspective on food
AUSTRALIA’S food system — all the processes and infrastructure required to feed a population, from growing, harvesting and processing to packaging, transporting and marketing — has been one of the underpinnings to our improved health and prosperity, allowing us to access safe food all year round.
However, it’s time to rethink our food system to ensure it continues to support health and wellbeing for everyone, writes Professor Anna Peeters, Director of Deakin University’s Institute for Health Transformation.
The number of adults in Australia living with obesity has grown from one in 10 in 1980 to one in three today.
Our children have experienced similar increases, foreshadowing increases in health costs to individuals, communities and our nation.
The ready promotion, availability and accessibility of unhealthy food and drink, relative to healthier options, is currently one of the key drivers of our obesity crisis.
We know the rise in obesity has been driven by changes to our diets and physical activity levels over past decades.
An unhealthy diet now represents a leading modifiable cause of disease, increasing our risk of several cancers, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental illness and decreasing our capacity to function independently later in life.
We also know that most people want the best chance at health and wellbeing for themselves and their children.
But what do we see on billboards, at the service station and on TV?
Price discounts, two for one offers, glossy ads and prime positions in vending machines and food outlets, often for the unhealthiest food and drink options, and rarely for fruit, vegetables, water and healthier options. So how do we improve the healthiness of diet across our entire population?
At Deakin, we’ve become interested in what it will take to transform our food environments to support all Australians to consume affordable, tasty and healthy food and drink.
Last year we launched REFRESH, a National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence into Food Retail Environments for Health.
This program of research brings together researchers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK, Monash University, the Menzies School of Health Research, and the George Institute, along with a number of our government, non-government and food retail partners to tackle this great challenge.
From our previous work we know that change is possible when attention is paid to customers, suppliers and building appropriate nutritional expertise.
In our award-winning work with partners in the City of Bendigo, the local IGA supermarkets have received positive customer feedback about changes that promote healthier options within the store, with 97 per cent believing that IGA should continue these efforts.
Our work with the City of Wyndham has shown that changing the food and drink available in the local leisure services has led to customers buying healthier food, while the services have maintained profitability and customer satisfaction.
And our work with Western District Health Services has led to all the hospitals in the region removing soft drinks, a move now mirrored by NSW Health across all NSW Health Services.
Our researchers also evaluated the City of Greater Geelong’s work with the VicHealth Water in Sport program to build on its leadership with healthy food provision through its sports and recreation centres.
Involving seven councilowned and managed sports and recreation centres, including aquatic centres, a golf course and activity centres, the City is working to increase the provision of healthy drink options to the community. So change is possible. But to achieve the widespread changes to our food system that we need if all our children are to enjoy both food and good health, we need a groundswell of support and demand from communities and governments alike.