Dietitians Australia is urging the incoming Queensland Government to take immediate action on two critical nutrition priorities aimed at progressing the health and wellbeing of all Queenslanders. 

The peak body for dietetic and nutrition professionals is advocating the incoming Queensland Government guarantees every public school has access to the support of a dietitian and ensures dietitians are better integrated into mental health services.

“We’ve seen bold investments committed to by Labor and the Greens when it comes to school food relief,” Dietitians Australia Vice- President Dr Fiona Willer said.

“We welcome this and insist that nutritious food must be at the heart of these programs and initiatives in schools, with dietitians enabling their success,” Dr Willer said.

“We’ll be pushing the new Government to work towards providing every Queensland public primary school with regular access to dietitians, at least twice a month.

“There is so much value the support of a dietitian can provide to enable effective food-based or nutrition programs in schools.

“While every school will have different needs, we know dietitians have an enormous impact when it comes to leading nutrition improvements in schools’ tuckshops, across food relief programs and even supporting teachers to integrate nutrition education into their lesson planning. 

“Almost half of all Queenslanders will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime and we know the link between improved nutrition and both improved mental and physical health is strong. 

“The Queensland Mental Health Select Committee Inquiry in 2022 backed the need for dietitians to be well embedded in the state’s mental health services.

“We know this is critical to provide equitable, personalised nutrition care to Queenslanders for the prevention, treatment and management of mental health conditions.

“The new Government must act immediately on this recommendation and provide dedicated funding to support the integration of dietitians into mental health services and to close the gaps in dietetic care across the State.

“Dietitians Australia looks forward to partnering with the new Government to deliver on these priorities, which have the potential to have a transformative impact on the health and wellbeing of people living in the Sunshine State.