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WE ARE
WHAT
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W
DIET
We have more access
than ever before to
a healthy variety of
foods, yet obesity
is growing at an
alarming rate
FAST FACTS
WHAT IS A
HEALTHY DIET?
A healthy diet promotes good
health and lowers the risk of
developing diet-related disease.
A healthy diet consists of eating
a variety of food from each of the
five food groups in recommended
amounts.
Consuming a variety of food
gives the body all the different
nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
The five major food groups are:
WV
egetables and legumes/beans
WF
ruit
W L ean meats and poultry,
fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and
seeds, legumes/beans
WG
rain (cereal) foods,
mostly wholegrain and/or
high cereal fibre varieties
WM
ilk, yoghurt, cheese
and/or alternatives and
mostly reduced fat
All these foods are grouped
together because they share the
same or similar nutritional qualities.
Together these groups make up the
Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
THE HEALTHY DIET PYRAMID
The healthy diet pyramid is a visual
guide that clearly illustrates the
types of food and proportions that
we should be eating daily.
At the foundation of the pyramid
are the plant-based food groups:
vegetables and legumes, fruits and
grains. These three groups should
make up around 70 per cent of a
healthy diet.
The middle layer includes the
dairy food group and the meat,
fish, nuts, seeds and legumes food
FAST FOOD
CONSUMPTION
group. These foods provide us
with protein and calcium and other
vitamins and minerals.
The top layer of the pyramid
includes healthy fats because we
need small amounts each day to
help with heart health and brain
function. Choosing healthy fats
includes choosing those from plant
sources such as olive oil, nut and
seed oils as well as from healthy
fat-rich foods such as avocados,
nuts, seeds and fish.
Australians love fast food. The nation
is one of the highest consumers of
fast food in the world with average
families eating one fast food meal
every week.
Where you live might also
influence how much fast food you
consume, with Queenslanders the
most likely to seek fast food when
eating out.
But eating too much fast food is
not good for our health, increasing
the risk of heart disease, obesity
and high blood pressure. Fast food
is often high in fat, salt and calories.
Fast food outlets also make it
cheap to upgrade to bigger portion
sizes, making it easier to consume
larger amounts.
Part of the problem is that the cost
of fresh food is going up faster than
the cost of fast food. The number
of fast food outlets is also steadily
increasing, making a variety of fast
food easily accessible to more and
more people.
WHAT ARE FAD DIETS?
Fad diets make big weight-loss
promises but are usually light on
long-term results.
People may lose weight in the
shortterm but the diets are hard to
sustain and could deprive the body
of essential nutrients.
A fad diet will usually promise or
include some or all of these things:
W A quick fix to weight loss
W Promotes special foods or food
combinations
W Implies food can change body
chemistry
W Excludes or restricts food groups,
such as carbohydrates
W Drastically reduces calorie intake
W Includes special pills, powders or
herbs that promote weight loss
W Tells you to skip meals or replace
meals with a drink or food bar
W Has strict rules
W Makes claims on a single study or
testimonials
Initial weight loss is mostly water
and muscle. With insufficient calories
consumed, the body breaks down
muscle to meet energy needs. This
leads to a loss of water and reduces
the body’s metabolic rate. Over
time, people can diet themselves
to become even fatter.
Poster 8 in a series of 10 to complement the We Are What We Eat education kit WEBSITES
SOURCES

The Diet Myth, by Tim Spector

Fat Planet, by Dr D Lewis
and Dr M Leitch

natgeotv.com.au

betterhealth.vic.gov.au

nutritionaustralia.org

news.com.au

goodfood.com.au

daa.asn.au
TOMORROW DON’T MISS: GM FOOD

kidshealth.org

who.int
W Nutrition Australia updated
the Healthy Eating Pyramid
this year for the first time in
15 years to combat confusion
around nutrition and risky fad
diets
W Water is the best drink to stay
hydrated so it’s best to choose
water over sugary drinks such
as soft drinks, sports drinks
and energy drinks
W Australia has more than 1250
Subways, 845 Domino’s, 780
McDonald’s and 300 Hungry
Jacks and 600 KFCs here and
in New Zealand
OBESITY
PANDEMIC
Since 1980, obesity around the
world has more than doubled.
Obesity statistics are
frightening. Globally, more than
1.9 billion adults are overweight
with 600 million of them obese.
Of children under age 5,
42 million are overweight or
obese. The statistics are more
alarming considering obesity is
preventable.
Obesity is caused by an
imbalance in the number of
calories consumed and those
used by the body.
Since 1980 there have been
two major shifts in society: an
increase in energy (calorie) rich
foods high in fat; and lower
physical activity through a more
sedentary lifestyle. In short, we
are eating more and moving less.
If rates of obesity continue
to rise, the burden on global
health systems arising from
associated diseases, such as type
2 diabetes, will be crippling.
Creating environments that
enable people to make healthier
choices is fundamental to
overcoming the problem.
The food industry can play
a vital role by reducing the
amounts of fat, sugar and salt
in processed and fast food,
providing affordable healthy
options and through responsible
promotion of their products.
Compiled by Karina Grift