Tackling malnutrition by elevating the importance of nutritious food for older Australians is Dietitians Australia’s key focus at tomorrow’s National Congress on Food, Nutrition, and the Dining Experience in Aged Care.

Food and nutrition has been identified as one of four concerns requiring immediate attention in the Final Report handed down by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety today.

Dietitians Australia supports the call for the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to update the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity.

The peak body for dietetics in Australia wants to see affordability and access to healthy food increase, along with better food literacy as part of the Government’s new National Preventive Health Strategy, which closed for public comment this week.

Dietitians Australia welcomes the increase in the basic daily fee for aged care homes, announced as a part of the Federal Government’s 2021-22 budget. But without mandatory malnutrition screening, this is money down the drain.

Implementing nation-wide menu labelling for pre-prepared food sold at takeaway outlets is just one way the Government can make it easier for Australians to put their health first.

Senator the Honourable Richard Colbeck, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, today shared how dietitians are a key part in creating generational change in aged care to ensure older Australians are adequately nourished.

New research shows people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are not receiving adequate support to optimise their diet in their first year of diagnosis.

Failing to provide better access for Australians to seek nutrition support will only further exacerbate mental illness. That’s one of the key messages highlighted by Dietitians Australia at today’s hearing for the Select Committee Inquiry into Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.

It’s time for Accredited Practising Dietitians to be recognised as a key profession in the management of mental health, says Dietitians Australia. As the nation wraps up Mental Health Awareness Month, ensuring our country has a comprehensive and effective workforce that can adequately support Australia’s rising rates of mental illness is a must.