Plant-rich diets: Healthier for people and the planet.

Background: There are strong links between the rise in unhealthy diets and non-communicable diseases, which are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the community and have a strong impact on the health system. The current food system encourages poor food choices and fails to help many people follow the principles set out in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. There is also good evidence that healthier diets are likely to be more environmentally sustainable than the typical Australian diet.

Food Retailers and Obesity.

We live in an 'obesogenic environment' where we are constantly bombarded with choices that encourage us to move less and eat more. Many factors influence our dietary choices, including the expert marketers who advise manufacturers on ways to encourage the population to buy more, especially profitable, palatable 'ultra-processed' foods. Supermarkets themselves have become skilled in manipulating buying behaviour, using their layout and specific product placement as well as advertising to maximise purchases of particular foods.

Nutrition problems in an obesogenic environment.

Many claims about nutrition and weight loss stem from small, short-term studies, incorrect interpretations or distortions of evidence. Our knowledge of what people eat is poor; difficulties include accurate assessment of consumption, the complex composition of foods and individual variations in nutrient bioavailability. When advice appears to be ineffective, poor compliance is a likely explanation.