Re-Define Healthy Foods Basket
AMA Vice President, Dr Choong-Siew Yong, today said he was heartened to see research being done into the affordability of healthy food in remote areas of Australia.
"Given the high freight and storage costs and short shelf-life in very hot climates, it's long been assumed that food prices in remote Australia may make it too expensive for many families to eat healthily," Dr Yong said.
"It's important to have had this theory confirmed by the research, which appears in today's issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.
"Now, the AMA would like to see more research on the issue, looking at the prices and availability of a different range of foods."
The study set out to compare the costs of basic healthy foods needed to feed a family of six for two weeks.
"We were disappointed in some of the foods included in the 'healthy foods' basket," Dr Yong said.
"They're stated in the study to be foods required to support and maintain health, but they included such items as 3kg of white sugar, 1.5kg of margarine and 750ml of canola oil.
"Those quantities are certainly not what the AMA would consider healthy for a family of that size.
"In addition, there were several tinned foodstuffs including spaghetti and tinned meat, and white bread - none of which we would describe as health-promoting."
The quantities and types of some of the foods included would contribute to the growing obesity problem, rather than maintain good health, Dr Yong said.
"I strongly urge the researchers to rethink the contents of the healthy food basket, and continue with their valuable research," he said.