Consumption of ‘extra’ foods by Australian adults: types, quantities and contribution to energy and nutrient intakes

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the types and quantities of 'extra' foods, or energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, consumed by Australian adults, and assess their contribution to total energy and nutrient intakes. Subject/Methods: We used 24-h recall data from 10 851 adults, aged 19 years and over, who participated in the nationally representative 1995 National Nutrition Survey. 'Extra' foods were defined using principles outlined in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and by applying cut points for maximum amounts of fat and sugar within each food category. Results: 'Extra' foods contributed to 36% of daily energy intake with the highest contributors being fried potatoes (2.8%), margarine (2.6%), cakes and muffins (2.5%), beer (2.4%), sugar-sweetened soft drinks (2.4%), and meat pies (2.2%). Both age and sex were important determinants of 'extra' foods intake; younger adults were more likely to consume sugar-sweetened soft drinks, fried potatoes, meat pies and savoury pastries, pizza, crisps, lollies and chocolate; whereas older adults were more likely to consume sweet and savoury biscuits, cakes and muffins, margarine and butter. In all age groups, 'extra' foods contributed more to energy intake for men than women. Overall, 'extra' foods contributed 16% protein, 41% total fat, 41% saturated fat, 47% sugar and approximately 20% of selected micronutrients to the diet. Conclusions: 'Extra' foods contribute excessively to the energy, fat and sugar intakes of Australian adults, while providing relatively few micronutrients. This is of concern for the increasing risk of overweight and chronic disease and poor micronutrient status.

Discretionary food and beverage consumption and its association with demographic characteristics, weight status, and fruit and vegetable intakes in Australian adults

“…Discretionary food/beverage consumption differed across subpopulations, with higher consumption levels among males, younger people, people of lower socio-economic status, people with high BMI, and people with low fruit and vegetable intakes. Compared with previous studies examining discretionary choices using the 1995 National Nutrition Survey, which contributed 36 % of total energy (15) , our results suggest that discretionary food/beverage consumption appears to have plateaued. However, the two studies are not directly comparable, as there were slight differences in the criteria for discretionary foods/beverages.…”

“…Additionally, studies have shown that energy consumed in liquid form is more obesogenic than when consumed in solid form (11,13,14) . Excessive consumption of discretionary foods/ beverages in the Australian population has been identified in national dietary surveys undertaken since 1995, comprising 40 % of daily energy intake in 1995 (15) , 41 % in children in 2007 (16) and 35 % in 2011/12 (5) . The recent release of data from the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) enables the assessment of factors associated with the consumption of discretionary foods/beverages such as demographic, anthropometric and dietary factors.…”

An independent audit of the Australian food industry’s voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme for energy-dense nutrition-poor foods

“…[1] It is estimated that 'extra foods'-energy-dense but nutrient poor (EDNP) snack foods-account for 41% of saturated fat intake and 47% of sugar intake of the average Australian adult diet, amounting to 36% of total daily energy intake. [2] Children and adolescents obtain even more of their daily energy from EDNP products, estimated at 41-43%. [3,4] Overconsumption of EDNP products is therefore a major public health concern in Australia, prompting many advocates to call for compulsory, front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling to empower people to make healthier food choices.…”

Contribution of Different Food Groups to the Energy Intake and Weight Status of Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Malaysian Public University

“…Similar findings were also reported in a sample of Australian adults. Cakes and muffins were among the highest contributors to their daily energy intake (Rangan et al, 2008). However, a study among children and adolescents in Britain reported that being overweight was not necessarily associated with a higher calorie intake from biscuits, cakes and confectioneries (Gibson et al, 2004).…”