Stuck on first base?How does Australia move from the mediocre to
the magnificent in food policy?
The curate’s egg
Punch November 9, 1895
BISHOP: I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr Jones.
CURATE: Oh, no, my Lord, I assure you that parts of it are excellent!
Parts of it are excellent …
Top modifiable risk factorsAs % total burden of disease and injury 2003
Nutrition & obesity
Nutrition & obesity
Progress on Progress on iFoPLiFoPL ……
Food reformulationFood reformulation
• UK Healthy Food Code of Good Practice– 23,800 lives could be saved
• 20,200 if salt intake within guidelines• 3,500 sat fats intake within guidelines
• US estimates (NEJM Feb 2010)
– Reduction of salt intake by just 3g a day• 54,000 - 100,000 fewer heart attacks• 32,000 - 66,000 fewer strokes
US: Impact of 3g salt reductionUS: Impact of 3g salt reduction
Reducing dietary intakes of salt by 3g a day– Save $10bn to $24bn in annual health care costs
Would have same impact as:– 50% cut in tobacco use– 5% reduction in BMI in obese adults – Use of statins to treat people for low or
intermediate risk of CHD events
UK’s healthy food strategyUK’s healthy food strategy
FSA campaign had three key elements– reformulation with voluntary targets– social marketing (salt, sat fat)– front-of-pack labelling (traffic lights)
UK’s food strategy UK’s food strategy –– results?results?
Salt consumption down by almost 1.5g a day over past 10 years, preventing:
•• 20,000 CVD events a year20,000 CVD events a year•• 8,500 CVD deaths8,500 CVD deaths
Future potential?Future potential?
‘Vigorous’ uptake of food supply initiatives in UK could prevent:
30,000 premature 30,000 premature deaths a yeardeaths a year
WHO 2012
Food and nutrition activities
Review of mandatory fortification
Fortification of the food supply
Folate and iodine monitoring
Junk food advertising
Australia’s Food & Nutrition
Healthy eating and PA resources
Measure Up social marketing campaign
Stephanie Alexander kitchen garden program
Healthy weight guidelines
NCD Global Action Plan
Food & Research R&D technology transfer strategy
School canteen guidelines
Front-of-pack-labelling Nutrition Information Panel
Food composition tables
National Food Plan
Health Claims
NPA on Preventive Health
Nutrient reference panels
Point of sale
Dietary guidelines and AGTHE
Food & Health Dialogue
Industry partnership (NPAPH)
Australian Health Survey
Children’s survey
National Nutrition Policy
Food and nutrition activities
Review of mandatory fortification
Fortification of the food supply
Folate and iodine monitoring
Junk food advertising
Australia’s Food & Nutrition
Healthy eating and PA resources
Measure Up social marketing campaign
Stephanie Alexander kitchen garden program
Healthy weight guidelines
NCD Global Action Plan
Food & Research R&D technology transfer strategy
School canteen guidelines
Front-of-pack-labelling Nutrition Information Panel
Food composition tables
National Food Plan
Health Claims
NPA on Preventive Health
Nutrient reference panels
Point of sale
Dietary guidelines and AGTHE
Food & Health Dialogue
Industry partnership (NPAPH)
Australian Health Survey
Children’s survey
National Nutrition Policy
Food and nutrition activitiesReview of mandatory
fortificationFortification of the
food supply
Folate and iodine monitoring
Junk food advertisingAustralia’s Food & Nutrition
Healthy eating and PA resources
Measure Up social marketing campaign
Stephanie Alexander kitchen garden program
Healthy weight guidelines
NCD Global Action Plan
Food & Research R&D technology transfer strategy
School canteen guidelines
Front-of-pack-labelling Nutrition Information Panel
Food composition tables
National Food Plan
Health ClaimsNPA on Preventive Health
Nutrient reference panelsPoint of sale
Dietary guidelines and AGTHE Food & Health Dialogue
Industry partnership (NPAPH) Australian Health Survey
Children’s survey
National Nutrition Policy
Food and nutrition activities
LEADERSHIP
Standing Committee of Cabinet
PARTNERSHIPSGovernments
Industry, NGOs/consumers
GUIDELINES
National Food Plan
PROGRAMS
RegulationReformulation
Social marketingFoPLEtc
MONITORING & EVALUTIONAustralian Health Survey
POLICY
Food Plan … a circuit breaker?Food Plan … a circuit breaker?
5.3.4: Proposed way forward The Australian Government proposes to continue to:• use innovative ways to ensure optimal nutrition and
health outcomes for all Australians• promote healthy eating & good nutrition …• fund the Australian Health Survey• develop the Healthy Weight Guide• fund Stephanie Alexander Kitchen
Garden Program until 2016 …National Food Plan Green Paper 2012
National Food Plan …National Food Plan …
• Vision• Strong leadership• Policy integration• Governance – cabinet committee• Effective action
We already have a template …
Preventative Health TaskforcePreventative Health Taskforce
• Supercharge food reformulation• A mandatory, robust, interpretive FoPL• Well-funded education campaigns• Standard sizes, reduced portions• Curbs on promoting unhealthy food to children• Nutrition labelling on menus• Consider tax measures, incentives
Supercharge reformulationSupercharge reformulation
• More categories, more quickly (6 v 80 in UK)• Adopt OS targets – adapt as necessary• Set up a dedicated reformulation unit• Engage additional expert staff• Fund data collection, modelling• Support communication activities• Fund social marketing via ANPHA
World leadershipWorld leadership
• UN embracing global NCD goals- Salt, sat fat, cholesterol, obesity
• Australia has opportunity to be a world leader in food and nutrition policy as it is in tobacco control
World leadershipWorld leadership
• UN embracing global NCD goals- Salt, sat fat, cholesterol, obesity
• Australia has opportunity to be a world leader in food and nutrition policy as it is in tobacco control