Survey finds most people need advice on nutrition

A new VicHealth survey has found three in five Australians do not know who to trust when it comes to nutrition advice.

The survey of 2,000 Australian adults aged between 18 and 65 also revealed that in the supermarket, half of people struggled to know if something was healthy or not.

VicHealth executive manager of health promotion systems Michelle Murray said with claims such as “low sugar”, “no artificial colours or flavours” and “natural” on food labels, it was hard to know what products were genuinely healthy.

“Supermarket aisles are battlefields of bright packaging and bold health claims. Each of the 30,000 supermarket products is vying for the attention of shoppers.

“It’s no wonder most people are confused about nutrition information.”

Introduced in 2014, the voluntary Health Star Rating System was designed to help shoppers compare the healthiness of packaged supermarket foods at a glance.

However, two in three packaged products do not display health stars, and some food companies use it as a marketing tool by only putting them on higher-rating items.

“Our research shows that Australians find health stars helpful in deciding what packaged products are healthier, but food companies are dragging their feet,” Ms Murray said.

“After 10 years, just 36 per cent of products carry health stars, which is well short of the 60 per cent target set by governments.”

VicHealth’s survey found that among Australians who use the health stars, almost three-quarters believe their inclusion on labels helps them understand which packaged products are healthier.

Among those who always use health stars, almost nine in 10 found it useful for knowing which foods were healthier.

VicHealth noted that in December, data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed being overweight or obese had overtaken tobacco smoking as the leading risk factor contributing to disease burden.

“It’s time for governments to make the health stars mandatory,” Ms Murray said.

“While we all need to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, we also need to equip Australians with the clear, accessible information they need to make healthier decisions when buying packaged products.

“A mandatory Health Star Rating system is a simple but effective way to improve the diets and long-term health of our nation.”

Melbourne parent Erin MacLatchy said the Health Star Rating System helped her and her family cut through marketing spin.

“It can be difficult and confusing to know what foods are healthy with so many health claims and lots of information on the packet. That’s why the Health Star Ratings are so helpful.”

“I use the Health Star Ratings to help me choose between products, but it would be even easier if they were on all packaged foods.”

For more information on the Health Star Rating System, head to healthstarrating.gov.au