This week Down Under

At least idle Australians know how to snack well

By RJ Whitehead

- Last updated on GMT

At least idle Australians know how to snack well

Related tags Nutrition

At least idle Australians know how to snack well

Residents in Australia’s most urbanised state might go about spells of mindless eating followed by long periods of inactivity, but at least they snack smarter, a study has found.

The LiveLighter research paints a vivid picture of the typical Victorian’s lifestyle, with many confessing to regular visits to fast food restaurants, skipping breakfast and not doing enough exercise. 

More than half, though, have fruit for snacks and many are changing their diets in a bid to improve health and wellbeing. 

The study looked the attitudes towards eating and physical activity of over 1,000 Victorians, finding that “unhealthy lifestyle choices appear to have become normal​”.

Among the findings:

  • Almost half said they didn’t realise how much they ate in a day
  • Up to 45% admit to overeating when they’re stressed or upset.
  • Almost 80% felt that overeating had become the new normal, and more than 85% believed that occasional treats had become everyday foods.  
  • Half believed their diet was ‘healthy’, yet the majority practiced many unhealthy behaviours like not eating enough vegetables (93%), eating takeaway food at least every second day (25%), skipping breakfast and exercising at most once a week (both 33%).

More positively, 58% of Victorians said they regularly ate fruit as a healthy snack, followed by yoghurt (35%), vegetables (15%), and nuts (4%).

Around a third of those on a diet or weight loss plan were doing so “to improve general health and wellbeing​”.

Of the popular takeaway options, four of the top seven can easily be modified to be healthier, such as choosing roast instead of fried chicken; grilled fish and salad instead of fried fish and chips; and adding lean protein to sandwiches such as tuna or egg.   

Heart Foundation Victoria CEO, Diana Heggie, said the survey shows that many Victorians appear to believe they’re living a healthy lifestyle, when in reality they’re not.

We’ve become accustomed to overeating and having unhealthy foods readily available. Many people also seem to be falling into the habit of ‘mindless eating’ which can add up to a lot of extra kilojoules which are difficult to burn off​,” Heggie said.

Understanding bad habits can help people to take small steps to overcome them, said Craig Sinclair of Cancer Council Victoria.

This data is clearly showing us where we can make small improvements in our eating and lifestyle habits that could make a real and very significant difference to our long term health​.

Fsanz launches public consultation for GMO asparaginase source

The antipodean food regulator has called for public input on a new microbial source for asparaginase sourced from a genetically modified strain of Bacillus subtilis.

Fsanz chief executive Steve McCutcheon said the watchdog had assessed an application to include the asparaginase preparation as a permitted processing aid.

[It] can be used to reduce the risk of acrylamide formation in food, which can occur when certain starchy foods are cooked or processed​,” McCutcheon said.

Acrylamide formation occurs when certain foods are fried or roasted, including potatoes, coffee and cereal-based products​.

Fsanz has concluded that there are no public health and safety issues associated with using the enzyme preparation as a food processing aid​.”

Asparaginase, an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of asparagine to aspartic acid, can be used in chemotherapy in one form, though its most common use is as a food processing aid.

The closing date for submissions is July 31, after which Fsanz will make a recommendation to the ministers responsible for food regulation in Australia and New Zealand. 

The ministers can then decide to adopt, amend or reject standards, or they can ask for a further review.

Coca-Cola Amatil heightens activity in Auckland

Coca-Cola Amatil’s New Zealand arm, CCANZ, will ramp up its Kiwi manufacturing operation as it builds a plant at Auckland Airport that it hopes will supply a raft of new orders.

CCANZ will develop the 12,000 square-metre warehouse at a business park near the airport as it looks to increase the size of its domestic market. Its proximity to the airport will help with distribution, said Chris Litchfield, managing director.

He said: “We need to consolidate a number of operations into one, meaning that we require a location that ticks all the boxes in terms of connectivity, security and accessible amenities​.”

Related topics Markets Oceania Asian tastes

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