sustainable food for a healthy future Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM nutritionist
Dec 22, 2015
food futures for children how healthy is our diet? the school’s contribution how sustainable is our diet? vision for sustainable food in the future
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
the balanced diet
nutritionnutrition& health& health
environmentenvironmental al
sustainabilitysustainability
tastetaste‘food literacy’‘food literacy’
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
children’s nutrition and health
~75% are in healthy weight range
~25% of children above healthy weight range
poor food choices are common & contribute to health problems in childhood & later in life
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
problems low intake of calcium (mainly in girls)
low intake of dietary fibre
excess sugar & acidic drinks (dental decay)
too much salt
low intake of vegetables in 95% of children
protein ‘mania’ (among some teenage boys)
vitamin B12 problem for vegans (OK if consume milk, yoghurt, cheese & eggs)
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
where the diet is going wrong
frequent snacks
sweet drinks
too much junk food (>40% of kilojoules)
breakfast is too sweet (or absent)
low consumption of fruit & vegetables
big changes in evening family meal
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
why so much junk? convenient
some relatively cheap products
mundane, but not unpleasant flavours (dominated by sugar, salt, fat)
profitable for food companies and therefore promoted heavily
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
Victorian survey1680 primary school children93% of kids had junk foods in lunch box plus a sweet drink
average of 3 junk food items/child
does this make junk food ‘normal’ ?
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
influences on children’s diets family eating habits
advertising/marketing
taste (fussy eaters are common)
peer group pressure
access to a garden
school’s attention to healthy food
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
what we are up againstmarketing TV advertising
internet & iPhone marketing
in-school marketing
sponsorship
product placement
sales promotions
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
food & advertising
children are seen as fair game for marketers and advertisers
starts well before school age
aim for brand recognition
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
marketing to childrenmultiple messages/multiple channels advertising (TV, sport, packaging)
use of characters, mascots on clothing, bags
internet marketing, email/texting
product placement
in-school marketing
sponsorship
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
internet ‘advergaming’ overtaking TV advertising
children’s online ‘clubs’ with advertisements, competitions, games (including ones that are supposedly promoting nutrition), prizes
immersive, interactive, incessant (20 minutes vs 30 seconds for TV ads)
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
influence of marketingit works! fast foods, snacks, sweet drinks
expected everywhere (including all sporting venues)
take-away foods now ‘normal’
packaged snacks now ‘normal’
frequent treats now ‘normal’
foods not advertised are ignored
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
excess weight in childrenChildren overweight and obese, by age group, Australia, 2007–08
Note: Based on measured height and weight.Source: AIHW analysis of the 2007–08 NHS.
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
increasing weight - why?
children are eating more– 13% increase in kilojoules
children are moving less– more screens (computers, phones,
TV)
– driven everywhere
– insufficient free play
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
does excess body fat matter?
psycho-social problems
health problems during childhood (sleep apnoea, asthma, fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure)
problems with knees, joints, feet
health problems as adults
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
health problems
year 10 students15-20% - high insulin levels
20% boys & 5% girls - high blood pressure
9% of boys - abnormal liver function
10% boys - low HDL(good) cholesterol
NSW Schools Physical Activity & Nutrition Survey(SPANS), available at www.health.nsw.gov/pubs/2006/pdf/sspans report.pdf
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
health problems
year 10 students who are overweight15-20% 70% - high insulin levels
20% 30% boys & 5% girls - high blood pressure
9% 40% of boys - abnormal liver function
10% 25% boys & 20% girls - low HDL(good) cholesterol
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
weighthealth problems with underweight lack of stamina
diet may lack nutrients (may be problems with calcium, essential fats, vitamin B12)
lack of self esteem (cause or effect?)
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
weightpromote healthy balance emphasise health rather than weight
healthy role models important
over- or undereating often associated with stress
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
the family table
disappearing 15% of kids do not eat dinner*
20% do not eat dinner with family*
50% eat in front of TV
* NSW Health
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
the family table
small children who eat with adults better language skills
better socialisation
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
the family table
older children who eat with adults fewer behavioural problems
less likely to use alcohol, tobacco or marijuana as teenagers
more motivated at school
less depression
lower incidence of eating disorders
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
where changes are needed
healthier choices
suitable drinks are water or milk
the day should start with breakfast
fruit is the ideal snack
children should be able to cook/prepare food
dinner – a shared meal, at least some nights
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
supportive strategies children do not need special kids’
foods
provide variety, but no need to be excessive about it
follow dietary guidelines
ensure the school canteen supports classroom teaching
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
solving the problemfood ‘literacy’‘yummy’ foods not only junk foodshelp children discover how, when & where food is grown, and how to prepare foodcooking, shopping, gardening skills (eg growing vegetables, fruit trees, school & community gardens)
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
how can canteens help? don’t be part of the problem
emphasise vegetables & fruit
set children’s idea of what is ‘normal’
help expand children’s tastes
encourage social eating
emphasise ‘green’ foods (including those that are environmentally green)
school canteenproviding a good examplehealthy choicesactively market those choicesmake fresh foods look attractiveopen for breakfast ?work with school or community garden ?an ‘eco’ canteen ?
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
‘eco’ canteens publicise foods in season stress value of fresh & healthy foods expand plant food choices where possible, work in with gardens or
growers (soil enhancement/compost) reduce waste
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
waste
globally, at least a third of all food is wasted between field and fork
food wasted in developed countries could feed an extra 3 billion people
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
waste in Australiaoccurs at all stages of the food chain
- households throw out ~ $8 billion food/year (enough to fill 450,000 garbage trucks)
- food makes up >40% household garbage
- food waste makes up 1/3 municipal waste
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
wasteavoiding waste in canteens
- plan so as to reduce food losses due to
spoilage
- improve ordering practices
- set a good example by using/selling leftovers
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
action on waste in WA
Waste Authority – WA Too Good to Waste Waste Wise School program (reduce, re-
use, recycle) Perth City Council Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council Tamala Park Regional Council City of Rockingham composting program Edith Cowan University (research)
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
waste wise school program
newsletter competitions recycling services workshops fact sheets (eg composting, edible
school gardens)
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
go ‘eco’ - waste less
food wastegenerates methane, the most powerful greenhouse gasavoid methane if waste used for worm farms, compost, soil enhancement, gardens
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
sustainability issues & food
up to 25%
of total greenhouse gas emissions
come from
production and distribution
of what we eat and drink
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
go down the food chain?
World Health Organisation and others recommend
we bias our diets towards
plant foods
and less processed foods
for health & sustainability
‘eco’ considerations
packaging~ 65% packaging is for food/beverages
useful because it improves shelf life and reduces food waste
a problem because it uses energy resources to produce, and more when added to landfill
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
packaging
packaging makes up 72% of litter in Australia (includes 25 million plastic bags discarded as litter/year)
throughout the world, 400 billion plastic water bottles added to landfill each year
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
packaging - action avoid packaged foods & drinks where possible
recycle packaging where possible
recycling bins in schools
sell ‘school branded’ re-usable water bottles
lobby governments to set mandatory rules for container deposits
lobby for recycling costs to be included in product price
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
environmental issues overproduction waste excess packaging seasonal eating food ‘miles’ more plant foods (wholegrains, nuts,
fruit, vegetables, legumes) organic foods?
waste reduce (also re-cycling at school)
excess packaging reduce seasonal eating understand food ‘miles’ understand more plant foods (wholegrains, nuts,
fruit, vegetables, legumes) offer more organic foods? where affordable
the value of gardens
encourage connection with the seasons planning & patience experimenting (different varieties) sharing interest from all ages
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
access to a garden increases children’s willingness to eat
vegetables improves family dynamics (less friction,
more varied menus, more sharing) kitchen gardens increase cooking skills improves overall diets advantages for ‘loners’
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
gardens
healthier, more enjoyable diet
healthier environment
simultaneously tackle climate change, better
nutrition & food ‘literacy’
vision for a ‘future’ food system
buy only what we need sustainable packaging fresh, local/home grown, where possible home cooked rather than take-away more vegetables, grains, nuts, fruit more sustainable farming (inc fish) small portions of sustainable animal foods tap water rather than sugary drinks
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
vision for a ‘future’ food system
vegetable gardens (community, home, school)
street trees with edible fruit
collection & recycling systems for domestic, school & commercial waste, subsidies for composting
school canteens will be ‘green’
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
© Rosemary Stanton 2015
reliable information The Parents Jury
(www.parentsjury.org.au)
Choice
Cancer Council - Food Injunction
LiveLighter
Nutrition Australia
Public Health Association of Australia
Dietitians Association of Australia