Why Australian diets are predicted to decline significantly by 2030

Australians will be eating less fruit and more junk food by 2030 as adults continue to overindulge in discretionary foods, new research has found.

Data from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) revealed Aussie diets already fall short of key national health targets and will continue to decline in the next five years.

The study published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health found that consumption of discretionary foods, will explode by 18 per cent by 2030.

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Discretionary or junk food include ultra processed foods such as cakes and biscuits, chocolate and lollies, takeaway foods, pies and pastries, as well as alcohol and sugary drinks.

Fruit consumption, on the other hand, will fall by close to 10 per cent in the same time.

While vegetable consumption isn't predicted to fall, it is currently well below recommended levels and the data suggests it will stay that way for the next five years.

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Scientists came to these conclusions by surveying more than 275,000 Australian adults over nine years, tracking their diets every step of the way with a 38-question survey about their daily food consumption.

The survey results helped them predict what the average Australian diet will look like by 2030 if nothing changes.

The only positive trends were found among young adults aged 18 to 30, though they were still found to consume excessive amounts of junk food.

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"Rather than waiting to see the impact of poor dietary habits, we can now identify concerning trends and intervene before they become major public health issues," Senior CSIRO Research Scientist Dr Gilly Hendrie said in a press release.

She said the survey should be seen as an early warning sign for Aussies to work towards achieving key nutrition targets of two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables each day.

Aussies are also encouraged to make sure junk foods make up less than 20 per cent of their total diet, in line with Australia's National Preventive Health Strategy (2021-2030).

"We have five years to get back on track with our diets and reverse these concerning trends," Hendrie said.

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