Why is Healthy Options WA food policy needed for WA Health services?
Healthy eating is essential for good health at all ages across the lifespan. Poor nutrition is a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including but not limited to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and some musculoskeletal disorders 1. Diets that are high in saturated fat, salt and sugar and low in plant foods are associated with high blood cholesterol, hypertension and obesity 2.
While there is some evidence that the Australian diet is improving, many people do not eat the recommended levels of many key dietary items, such as fruit, vegetables and cereals 3. Energy (kilojoules) and sugar intake have increased among adults and children, mainly due to increased consumption of soft drink, high-energy snack foods, fast food and confectionary. The increase in overweight and obesity has been linked to increased energy intake, the increased energy density of many foods and the ready availability of energy dense foods and drinks 4,5.
A key element of health reform in Western Australia, as outlined in the Western Australian Department of Health’s Strategic Intent 2005–2010 6, has been to increase the emphasis of the health system on the prevention of chronic disease through the promotion of healthy lifestyles, particularly physical activity, good nutrition, non-smoking and low risk alcohol use.
This priority underpins the Western Australian Health Promotion Strategic Framework 2007-2011 7. The framework identifies the need to increase access to affordable nutritious food and to develop settings and environments, such as health care facilities, workplaces, childcare and schools, that support healthy nutrition through policy, food access and education approaches.
It is vital that people are able to make healthy choices when buying from food outlets outside the home, through being offered access to a range of tasty nutritious foods that are not high in saturated fat and added sugar and salt.
The Healthy Options WA: Food and Nutrition Policy for WA Health Services and Facilities aims to enhance, improve and maintain the health of staff and the broader community by providing health care establishments that support and model good nutrition and healthy eating options. Health services need to reinforce the health and nutrition messages being promoted by health care professionals and health promotion programs, and become models for other workplaces and settings.
References
1 National Health and Medical Research Council, Dietary guidelines for Australian adults; Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2003.
2 P Somerford, J Katzenellenbogen, J Codde, Impact of modifiable risk factors on disability and death: Overview by age, Bulletin No. 5, Department of Health, Perth, 2004.
3Epidemiology Branch, Analysis and Performance Reporting, Department of Health Western Australia, 2006 Western Australian health and wellbeing surveillance system, 2006 (unpublished).
4C Stubbs, A Lee, The obesity epidemic: Both energy intake and physical activity contribute, Medical Journal of Australia, vol 181, no 9, 2004, pp 489-91.
5Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Risk factor monitoring. A rising epidemic: obesity in Australian children and adolescents, Risk Factors Data Briefing Number 2, 2004.
6 Department of Health, Strategic Intent 2005-2010, Department of Health, Perth, 2004.
7 Department of Health, Western Australian Health Promotion Strategic Framework 2007-2011, Department of Health, Perth, 2007.