BSBCRT401: Analyzing the Impact of Junk Food on Australian Health

This presentation provides a detailed analysis of the impact of junk food consumption on the Australian population, highlighting the concerning trend of poor dietary habits and their association with rising obesity rates. It discusses the health risks linked to junk food, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and depression, and suggests recommendations such as star labeling on food products and banning junk food advertisements targeting children. The presentation also draws parallels with successful initiatives from other countries and emphasizes the importance of shifting public attitudes towards healthier diets through social media awareness campaigns, food festivals, and surveys to understand the drivers of fast-food consumption. The conclusion reiterates the severity of the problem and proposes actionable steps for the government and broadcasting ministry to address unhealthy eating habits and promote positive future health outcomes.

Rethink about Obesity
A detailed analysis of junk food on Australian population

Introduction
 According to AIPT (2017), the diet habit of
Australians is worst nutritionally.
 Though Australia does not fall in the top
ten list of obese country, 35% of daily
food requirement is fulfilled by junk foods
in Australia.
 The entire Australia eats 3 kg of food
every hour that is more the entire worlds
average.
 Hence, the Australian government should
implement several harsh steps to
improve the condition (AIPT 2017).

Why eating junk food is a concern?
 Habit of junk food is one of the major concerns
worldwide due to its deleterious effects on health.
 There are several health complication that arises due
to consumption of junk foods (Sánchez-Villegas et al.
2012).
 Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, dementia,
loss in appetite controlling power, cravings and
depression are among those complications.
 Furthermore it suppresses the activity of brain and
liver and hence lead to serious complications like
cancer (Lustig, Schmidt and Brindis 2012).

Why eating junk food is a concern?
Junk food contains a lot of carbohydrates that spikes the blood sugar level,
leading to insulin imbalance and type 2 diabetes (Powell and Nguyen
2013).
According to (), high junk food consumption leads to asthma and rhinitis,
high chest congestion and drippy nose (Lustig, Schmidt and Brindis 2012).
Diet full of junk food interferes with brains synapses and molecules
affecting learning and memory as well as leads to depression or stress
(Sánchez-Villegas et al. 2012).
Consumption of junk foods with high carbohydrate and fat leads to store
microorganisms in teeth enamel and by producing acids it affects our
teeth. Further, it leads to formation of acne on the skin as well (Lustig,
Schmidt and Brindis 2012).

Recommendations
 The Australian government should focus
on using star labelling on the food
packet so that consumer can
understand the nutritional property of
that product before buying.
 The government should ban the
marketing and advertisements of junk
food products so that kids under 16
years cannot become influenced by
those products.

Reason for such recommendation
 According to the data of Australian obesity
statistics, more than 60% od adults are
suffering from obesity and 10% are highly
obese (National Eating Disorders and Obesity
2017).
 Within this data, 51.5 million people show up
to Fast food courts every day and 40% of
household dinners were served with fast
foods.
 27.4% children found to be obese in Australia
and all them accepted the consumption of
fast-food in their daily life (National Eating
Disorders and Obesity 2017).

Reason for such recommendation
 Advertisements have the capability to
mold individuals preference regarding
anything and hence, food products that
have the potential to lead obesity
should be banned from advertisement.
 Parents are not being able to filer their
children's preference regarding food as
thousands of channels advertise the
same unhealthy diet as tasty and lip-
smacking. Hence, it should be banned
for children under 16 years of age
(Morley et al. 2012).

Similar examples from around the
globe
 There are several countries who has already takes
such harsh steps to protect the citizens from obesity
and other major complications.
 These countries are European union countries,
Canada, Britain, Chile, France, Ireland, Mexico and the
United States of America .
 These countries have taken pledges namely the
Children's food and beverages' advertising initiative
according to which all the fast food items
advertisement has been banned for children under 12
years of age.
 This initiative has led them towards great success as
the food marketing has dripped by 48 percent that
means so many children have been diverted to healthy
nutrition from fast food habits (Morley et al. 2012).

Shifting of attitude towards health
 The government should utilize social media and
broadcasting media to spread awareness about
healthy diet so that people can shift their habit
towards healthy from junk food.
 Organize different food festivals and events
related to health and nutrition so that health can
be fused within their dietary habit.
 The government should organize food surveys so
that it comes easier to understand the reason of
fast food consumption.
 Further, the government should try to eliminate
those barriers so that every individual can focus
on their health properly (Powell and Nguyen
2012).

Conclusion
 The prime aim of this presentation was
to draw everyone's attention towards
this major health related concern.
 60% of Australians are suffering from
obesity and the primary reason behind
this is consumption of junk food.
 The presentation recommended that
banning fast food advertisements can
prevent the sale of these unhealthy
food products in Australia.
 Further the assignment provided
examples of different countries that
have successfully banned fast-food
advertisements for children so that the
habit can be diverted from unhealthy
food to healthy diet.
 Finally the presentation suggested few
steps that the government or
broadcasting ministry can take
regarding food habits to assess the
reason behind such consumption and
alter it for positive future implications.

References
 AIPT 2017. Australian Eating Habits: Stats & Trends | AIPT. [online] Aipt.edu.au. Available at:
https://www.aipt.edu.au/articles/2017/07/australian-eating-habits-stats-and-survey-results [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
 Lustig, R.H., Schmidt, L.A. and Brindis, C.D., 2012. Public health: the toxic truth about sugar. Nature, 482(7383),
p.27.
 Morley, B., Martin, J., Niven, P. and Wakefield, M., 2012. Health Public Policy Public opinion on food‐related obesity
prevention policy initiatives. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 23(2), pp.86-91.
 National Eating Disorders and Obesity 2017. Australia's Obesity Statistics in 2017 - National Eating Disorders and
Obesity. [online] National Eating Disorders and Obesity. Available at:
https://eatingdisordersaustralia.org.au/australias-obesity-statistics-2017/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
 Powell, L.M. and Nguyen, B.T., 2013. Fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption among children and
adolescents: effect on energy, beverage, and nutrient intake. JAMA pediatrics, 167(1), pp.14-20.
 Sánchez-Villegas, A., Toledo, E., de Irala, J., Ruiz-Canela, M., Pla-Vidal, J. and Martínez-González, M.A., 2012. Fast-
food and commercial baked goods consumption and the risk of depression. Public health nutrition, 15(3), pp.424-
432.