A leading US health body, the Institute of Medicine, yesterday called for front-of-pack labelling focussing on saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and total caloric information.A report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) said the four nutrient elements were routinely overconsumed and associated most strongly with diet-related health problems such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. “Calories, saturated fat, trans fats, and sodium present... ...Read more »

A Heart Foundation investigation into margarine and butter has shown that butter has, on average, 20 times the trans fat levels of margarine. “This news will come as a big surprise to many people who choose butter believing that it’s ‘natural’ and therefore healthier – but it simply isn’t the case,” said Susan Anderson, the Heart Foundation’s National Director Healthy Weight “Butter is mostly made of the fat that raises your bad cholesterol levels – saturated fat at... ...Read more »

A new report by the University of Queensland and Deakin University has highlighted the need for preventative health, recommending a 10% junk food tax, salt limits in bread, margarine and cereals, increase alcohol tax, a ban on alcohol ads and an increased drinking age of 21. The Assessing Cost Effectiveness of Prevention (ACE-Prevention) project is the result of five years of research, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.  It is the most comprehensive evaluation of health... ...Read more »

The National Heart Foundation of Australia today congratulated the Victorian Government on its commitment to introduce mandatory provision of kilojoules on menus of large fast food chains and called on other Australian Governments to follow the move. “If accepted nationally, we believe this initiative will not only make it easier for Australians who eat out to make healthier choices, but will also encourage food companies to improve the nutritional profile of foods on offer”, Ms Susan... ...Read more »

The National Heart Foundation of Australia has released a summary of research on antioxidants which warns that drinking red wine or coffee and eating chocolate to prevent heart disease will not achieve expected results. The Heart Foundation reviewed over 100 studies to confirm that eating fruit and vegetables and drinking tea helps lower your risk of heart disease. The Heart Foundation’s advice to consumers is not to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease by eating chocolate (milk or dark),... ...Read more »

A new report released by Go Grains, reviewing the latest science on the health benefits of wholegrains and legumes, was launched in Adelaide today by the Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health, The Hon Mark Butler, MP. The report, co-authored by Associate Professor Peter Williams of the University of Wollongong, emphasises the extensive health benefits of wholegrain foods and legumes. “Studies in this report show eating just 2-3 serves of wholegrain foods a day – the equivalent to 2-3... ...Read more »

With so many conflicting messages around about health, and what foods we should be eating these days, it’s hard to know what to believe.  It’s also hard for marketers and food producers to keep up with what their consumers believe is healthy, and thus what they are most likely to buy. We’ve all heard of so called ‘magic foods’; it seems there’s a new one every month.  Buy are people listening?  Which foods – if any – do people consider to be magic... ...Read more »

Eating a high-fat breakfast may combat the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, according to researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, fed mice two different diets with the same number of calories – one with a high-fat meal after waking, and one with a high-fat meal at the end of the day. The mice who ate a fatty meal at the end of the day had more symptoms of metabolic syndrome – increased weight gain, adiposity... ...Read more »