Food Choices and Health Stage 1 Research and Analysis Task 4 Reference: Nutrition the Inside Story, HEIA, 2003

Why worry about what we eat? It is well accepted that nutrition is strongly linked to major causes of ill health in Western countries - e.g. heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. Many diseases common in Australia are ‘lifestyle’ diseases related to what we choose to eat. (Nutrition The Inside Story, p 116)

Diet related diseases p.116 Anaemia Cancer Cardio vascular disease Diabetes Intestinal Diseases Osteoporosis Overweight and obesity Alcoholism Allergies and food intolerance Dental Caries Eating Disorders Malnutrition

Linked with poor food choices Too Much: _fat (especially saturated fat), salt, sticky sugary foods, alcohol. Not Enough: _dietary fibre, complex carbohydrates, calcium and iron, folate.

Part 1 Choose one diet related disease from Anaemia Cancer Cardio vascular disease Diabetes Intestinal Diseases Osteoporosis Overweight and obesity What are the diet related causes of this disease? What is it like to have this disease? How do people feel? How does it impact on their life and what they do?

Dietary Guidelines for Australians p 72 Prevent excess weight gain Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits Eat plenty of cereals including rice, pasta – wholegrain Include lean meat, poultry, fish and / or alternatives Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake Choose foods low in salt Limit alcohol intake Drink plenty of water Encourage and support breastfeeding Care for your food: prepare and store it safely.

Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods p.76 More than 50 nutrients are found in foods and thousands of important non-nutrients. No one food group can supply all the needed nutrients Should eat lots of different foods from lots of different sources Encourage children to eat a wide variety of different foods from an early age.

Each group has unique nutrients p. 76 Wholegrain breads and cereals – rich in B vitamins and fibre Fruit and vegetables – Vitamin C and folate Dairy foods best source of calcium Red meats – rich in iron and zinc Fish is an excellent source of omega 3 fats Nuts and vegetable oils are rich in essential fatty acids and vitamin E.

What should we be eating? Australian guide to healthy eating p. 76 Children and teenagers years number of serves daily from each group Cereals – 5-11 Vegetables, legumes – 3 Fruit – 3 Milk, yoghurt, cheese – 3 Lean meat, fish, poultry, nuts, legumes – 1 Extra foods – cakes, pies, soft drinks, lollies etc – 1-3 maximum

CSIRO Survey 2007 CSIRO Well Being Plan for Kids, 2009 Surveyed Australian children’s eating and activity habits Most children consume enough energy and nutrients to grow and be active Worrying trends about source of nutrients Across all ages not enough dairy, fruit and vegetables and wholegrain cereals are being consumed Consuming too much saturated fat, salt and sugar Older children sleep less, are less active and have more ‘screen’ time- -TV; computers; mobiles etc

Unhealthy eating and activity Patterns There are long term health implications for future heart, metabolic and dental health Leads to a higher cancer risk ¼ of all Australian children are overweight or obese Overweight and obesity are risk factors for heart disease and diabetes as adults Avoiding obesity in children is critical to future health as adults. It is important to get a good start by establishing healthy habits when kids are young.

Part 2 Make up a 10 question survey to find out if your friends eat a healthy diet Look at what they should be eating Ask closed questions with limited choices of answers Ask questions related to the disease you researched Put your survey onto survey monkey Send the link to friends plus your teacher.