Nutrition-related factors have overtaken tobacco as leading risk factors for disease in Australia. (Source)
What we eat can affect our overall health and wellbeing, in the short term and long term.
Food affects our energy and mood, and our mental health. It can even impact our cognitive abilities and the way we perform at work, school, and in our daily lives.
Over the longer term, our dietary intake can have an impact on our risk of developing some chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.
We all have different preferences, abilities, barriers, knowledge, and goals related to food.
But food is also central to life itself. It’s one of life’s great pleasures. Food is how we celebrate milestones, and it’s an expression of culture and identity.
National Nutrition Foundation celebrates the many ways that food enriches our lives, and we understand the impact that our personal circumstances and our environment can have on our choices.
We work to ensure Australians can enjoy nutritious foods and drinks, and can make informed choices for themselves and the people they care for.
Our food systems and individual behaviours have an impact on the health of the planet – and we are all responsible for future generations.
National Nutrition Foundation aims to reduce the negative impacts of food systems and individual food behaviours on planetary health.
It is a global problem, and we will be part of the solution.
Individual actions such as choosing locally produced foods and foods produced with minimal CO2 emissions, minimising plastic packaging, and reducing food waste all contribute to the collective impact.
But we know that the greatest gains can be made at the highest levels. Corporations, governments and institutions have a major role to play in reducing Australia’s CO2 emissions from the production, manufacturing and supply of foods and drinks, as well as minimising harms from packaging and food waste.