New research from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has shown that nearly four out of five Australians are over-indulging in junk foods every day.
The findings come from the recent analysis of the CSIRO’s Healthy Diet Score survey.
Research Scientist at the CSIRO, Gilly Hendrie said new approaches were needed when it came to discretionary foods and Australians’ diets.
“Discretionary or junk foods are the number one issue affecting Australian diets today, with excessive consumption resulting in poor nutrition, high rates of obesity and an even higher risk of lifestyle diseases,” Dr Hendrie said.
She said CSIRO had launched a free, online tool aimed at providing people with a greater understanding of their discretionary food intake and where they could make improvements to their eating habits.
“Launching just in time for those who may have over-indulged this Easter, the new Junk Food Analyser provides individuals with specific advice on which categories of discretionary foods they are consuming the most,” Dr Hendrie said.
“The interactive tool provides strategies and tips on where kilojoules can be reduced, which is essential for weight loss.”
She said that on average, Australian adults were eating about twice as much as that recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines, with a whopping 5.1 servings of discretionary foods consumed each day.
This was the equivalent to about 3000kJ, or 20 small solid chocolate Easter eggs daily.
“The results also uncovered our top weaknesses, with alcohol taking out the top spot (21 per cent of total discretionary food intake), followed by cakes and biscuits (19 per cent), sugar-sweetened beverages (12 per cent) and savoury pies and pastries (nine per cent),” Dr Hendrie said.
She said a range of strategies had been modelled in the Junk Food Analyser to help users reduce kilojoules in an achievable way.
A Junk Food Analyser quiz can be accessed at this PS News link.
