National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey

The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) welcomes the findings from the Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (Children's Survey). The results will help guide strategies to address health concerns in children.

DAA wants to see continued efforts to address poor nutrition in Australian children, and especially those from lower socioeconomic areas. While the survey found childhood overweight and obesity has stalled since the last survey in 1995, 23 per cent of children are still either overweight or obese, and five per cent are underweight - and this is not acceptable.

What happens at home has the biggest effect on what children eat. DAA believes improving the nutrition of Australian children must start at home. The Children's Survey showed kids are eating too much saturated fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit and vegetables. And 31 per cent are not meeting the physical activity guidelines.

DAA is calling for a similar national survey in adults. Australia's food supply is very different to 1995 when adults were last surveyed. More up-to-date data on the nutrition and physical activity habits of adults is desperately needed, and would help explain why 25 to 30 per cent more adults are overweight or obese, compared with children.

The key findings from the Children's Survey can be found at: http://www.health.gov.au/nutritionmonitoring