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Nov 2005 - AMA Position Statement on Nutrition |
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The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released its Position Statement on Nutrition in response to Australia's increasing overweight and obesity levels.
Nutrition facts in Australia
Obesity is a significant, long-term health issue affecting Australian society – particularly children. The AMA has issued a fact sheet, indicating the level of the problem.
In relation to the poor nutrition of children in Australia:
- 14.3% of boys and 16.4% girls (ages 2-14) were overweight
- An additional 3.7% of boys and 5.6% of girls were considered to be obese
- Childhood obesity in Australia has been estimated to be rising at an annual
rate of 1%, meaning that half of all young Australians will be overweight by the
year 2025
(AIHW 2005 Australia's Children)
- Overweight children are 50 per cent more likely to become overweight adults;
and children with overweight parents have twice the risk of becoming
overweight as those with parents who fall into the healthy weight category.
(Excerpt from AMA Position Statement on Nutrition – referenced from:
British Medical Association (2005). Preventing childhood obesity.)
AMA recommendations in regard to nutrition
In its Position Statement on Nutrition, the AMA has made the following recommendations:
- Babies should be solely breastfed, where possible, for at least the first six months of life
- School canteens should not profit from selling junk food to children
- Vending machines which stock anything but water should be banned in schools
- Selling chocolates and lollies as fundraisers should be banned
- All junk food advertising to children should be banned
- Food labels need to be more user friendly
- A comprehensive national nutrition survey is needed to map patterns of food consumption. The current data is ten years old
- The Federal Government must fund a program to improve nutritional status of Aboriginal and Islander women – especially women who are pregnant and breastfeeding, under 20, and women with children under five
- National standards are needed for the nutrition of elderly people in residential aged care facilities
- A national accreditation system is needed to help identify evidence-based weight loss programs, centres and resources
- The AMA supports food fortification to address micronutrient deficiencies, like folate and iodine, in the general population
AMA's summary on nutrition in Australia
The AMA Position Statement on Nutrition concludes with the message:
If the current Australian epidemic is not addressed, the AMA believes there will be inherent long term negative economic and social implications for Australian society.
More information, including the full copy of the AMA's Position Statement on Nutrition is available online
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 30 November 2005 )
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