Why Do Only 5% of Australians Maintain a Healthy Diet?

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Key Points

New research suggests the cost of living is causing people to make poor dietary choices.
Poor diet is among the top causes of disease in Australia.
Meanwhile, millions of tonnes of edible food are thrown away each year.

Just under one in 20 Australians are making dietary choices that are consistent with Australian dietary guidelines.

According to CSIRO’s latest Food System Horizons report, Australians are experiencing diseases due to unhealthy diets despite a relative abundance of safe, high-quality food.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the local value of Australian fruit production (excluding wine grapes) was $6.3 billion in 2022-23, with 2.7 million tonnes sold the same year.

Similarly, the local value of vegetable production was $5.8 billion, with 3.6 million tonnes sold.

As a result of large quantities of fresh food remaining unused, 33 million tonnes of organic waste are generated each year.

The CSIRO’s report estimates that Australia’s production, distribution and consumption of food is worth $800 billion and employs around 3.5 million people.

But researchers say it’s not delivering for everyone, and that lack of affordable and nutritious food is a leading cause of disease in the nation.

Lack of choice driving poor diets

Larelle McMillan, research director of CSIRO’s agriculture and food sustainability program, said the cost of food and health issues is “hitting Australians hard”.

She said a lack of choice is partially responsible for this situation.

“Health-related epidemics and issues are often interpreted as an acceptable consequence of personal choice,” she told SBS News.

“However, there are elements to that personal choice that can lead us away from healthy food.”

A chart showing how Australian diets compare with dietary guidelines

Source: SBS News

In particular, the cost of healthy food (like fruit and vegetables) compared to processed ones can make a nutritious diet out of reach for Australians on a smaller budget.

People living in regional and remote areas are more likely to see higher prices at the checkout and have fewer options available, which could influence their food choices.

According to the report, 6 per cent of those in regional areas only have access to a single food retailer, and that figure rises over five times to 34 per cent for residents in remote areas.

These factors are contributing to a vast number of Australians not getting enough nutrition in their diet, which is leading to health consequences, the report says.

Less than 5 per cent of Australians are eating enough fruits and vegetables as recommended in the federal government’s Australian dietary guidelines.

In comparison, twice as much non-essential or “discretionary food” like biscuits and processed meat is being consumed.

A lack of nutrition in one’s diet can contribute to risks such as obesity, among other health issues.

Dietary risk is one of the leading factors contributing to disease burden in the country, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

A chart showing the leading risk factors for disease burden

Source: SBS News

While cost is a driving factor in food insecurity, convenience also plays a role in how consumers choose to shop in the modern age.

Convenience over nutrition

Lilly Lim-Camacho, a principal research scientist at CSIRO, explained that convenience can drive our habits when it comes to what we buy for our meals.

“When it comes to purchasing food, buying fresh food to prepare yourself isn’t as convenient when compared to other things,” she told SBS News.

“In addition, it can be seen as expensive, not only because of the increased cost but the increased time that goes into preparing food.”

The environments we are exposed to when buying food also play a part, as people can be swayed by marketing, she added.

The CSIRO report highlights that fast food outlets are heavily concentrated in areas of socio-economic disadvantage and around schools, which could be driving poor dietary patterns among these groups.

“For example, children’s exposure to fast food advertisements can affect what they want to eat afterwards,” she said.

The report added that people who are living with socio-economic disadvantage within regional and remote areas faced the biggest harms of food insecurity.

Fresh, healthy food thrown away each year

Australian food relief charities that assist people in accessing affordable and nutritious food say the cost of living remains a major barrier to healthy eating.

At the same time, millions of tonnes go to landfills each year, according to Foodbank Australia.

“Australia wastes over 7.6 million tonnes of perfectly edible food a year,” the charity’s chief operating officer, Sarah Pennell, told SBS News.

“We want to see more of that good surplus food diverted to charities like Foodbank rather than landfill. With the right incentives and infrastructure, we can dramatically reduce waste and boost food relief efforts.”

What could change?

Food charity Second Bite’s CEO, Daniel Moorfield, told SBS News they rescue around 25 million kilograms of food each year, which is equivalent to 50 million meals.

But there is more they could do with support.

“We strongly support the National Food Donation Tax Incentive, which encourages more businesses to donate surplus food rather than waste it, helping to feed more Australians in need,” he said.

“This straightforward policy can help deliver millions of healthy meals to Australians in need, improving food security and nutrition while advancing our national food waste reduction goals.”

One way to encourage people to make healthy choices, according to the CSIRO, is a levy on unhealthy foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, adds the report.

The World Health Organization encouraged a similar tax on sugary drinks in 2022.

Pennell said such a levy would need to be considered in the light of its impact on low-income households.

“We would support well-thought-out policies that improve dietary health and fund food relief efforts – but only if they don’t make life harder for those already struggling to afford the basics.”