Nutrition
Food is an essential item that provides nutritional support for the body to produce energy and stimulate growth. A healthy diet can boost the immune system and prevent obesity. However, consuming foods that are high in fat and sugars on a regular basis may lead to serious health problems. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that adults consume at least two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables per day(footnote 1) .
After adjusting for age, only 6% of Australian adults consumed the recommended daily amount of both fruit and vegetables. Obese people were just as likely to eat sufficient fruit and vegetables as people who were underweight, normal weight or overweight (6% for each).
Overweight and obese people were more likely to consume skim milk (both 18%) than people who were underweight (6%) or normal weight (14%). This may indicate that people in these weight ranges are taking measures to reduce their fat intake.
1 National Health and Medical Research Council. Food for health - Dietary Guidelines for Australians. Available from http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/dietsyn.htm <back
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