Released on: November 18, 2007, 3:56 pm

Press Release Author: Wiley-Blackwell

Industry: Healthcare

Press Release Summary: Studies show many families on a tight budget are struggling
to fill their shopping trolleys with healthy food.


Press Release Body: Melbourne, Australia - 19 November 2007- Many families on a
tight budget are struggling to fill their shopping trolleys with healthy foods,
placing them at high risk of poor nutrition, including overweight and obesity, a
study in Nutrition and Dietetics published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the
Dietitians Association of Australia has found.



The study found that the cost of a standardized healthy food basket (HFB), and
therefore the cost of healthy eating, relative to income were very expensive for
Adelaide families on lower incomes.



Lead author, Associate Professor John Coveney, said, "This is evidence that some
Australians do not have access to affordable healthy foods. These issues need to be
considered by governments when setting policy and public health programs aimed at
helping Australian families make healthy food choices. We also need to monitor the
price of a standard basket of food over time to keep track of food prices".



Australia's leading nutrition organization, the Dietitians Association of Australia
(DAA), said these findings support their comprehensive obesity strategy which calls
for more of a focus on helping lower income families who are most at risk of
nutrition related problems have healthier eating habits.



Claire Hewat, DAA Executive Director, said, "We need to make it easier for
Australian families to eat better. One part of this is better access to Accredited
Practising Dietitians, who can help families make healthier food choices within
their budget, through the extension of Medicare or other funded programs."



"On a positive note, this study found that healthy foods were equally available in
low and high income areas, however we know this is not the case for thousands of
Australians including many living in rural and remote areas and many Indigenous
communities. DAA is also calling on all governments to make nutrition a priority and
commit more resources to getting all Australians eating better."



The paper, "Adelaide Healthy Food Basket: A Survey on Food Cost, Availability and
Affordability in Five Local Government Areas in Metropolitan Adelaide, South
Australia", assessed and compared the cost, availability and affordability of a
standardized healthy food basket (HFB) in 5 areas of metropolitan Adelaide.



________________________________________________________________________

This paper is published in the December 2007 issue of Nutrition & Dietetics. It is
available online at
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1747-0080.2007.00169.x

This press release is available online at
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/press/pressitem.asp?ref=1513



Media wishing to receive more information or schedule media interviews with the
authors should contact Alina Boey, PR & Communications Manager at
alina.boey@asia.blackwellpublishing.com or phone 613-83591046.



About Nutrition & Dietetics
Nutrition & Dietetics is Australia's leading peer-reviewed journal in its field.
Covering all aspects of food, nutrition and dietetics, the Journal provides a forum
for the reporting, discussion and development of scientifically credible knowledge
related to human nutrition and dietetics. Widely respected in Australia and the rest
of the world, Nutrition & Dietetics publishes original research, methodology
analyses, commentaries and viewpoints, research reviews, book reviews and much more.
Nutrition & Dietetics is the scientific journal of the Dietitians Association of
Australia including the Journal of the New Zealand Dietetic Association.



About Wiley-Blackwell
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About Wiley
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WILEY-BLACKWELL

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