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Coles, Woolies dominance harms Australians’ health
Thursday, 8 October 2009In a study published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, lead researcher Mr Wardle claims that Australia’s lack of grocery competition could mean efforts to encourage healthier eating are doomed from the beginning.
The study highlights the health consequences of the lack of competition on the affordability, access and choice of healthy foods, and called for regulations changes.
“Anything that affects negatively affects availability or access to healthy foods is going to have a serious impact on consumption of those foods,” Mr Wardle said.
“The current situation has meant that prices are higher, choice is lower and it is harder to get to places that sell healthful foods.
People generally want to eat healthier foods, but the current situation makes it harder for them to do so.”
He said Queensland Health data showed poor nutrition, particularly low intake of fresh foods, may be implicated in up to 56% of all deaths in Queensland and may be responsible for 14% of the state’s hospital budget. The World Health Organisation suggested one third of all cancers were related to poor diet.
“Most people look at the issue of competition in the grocery retail sector as an economic issue only, but in reality it also has enormous broader health and social consequences.”
Mr Wardle said until upstream factors caused by lack of competition were resolved, efforts to increase healthy food consumption may be in vain.
“We need to look at not just what people are eating, but how it's getting to them in the first place. If we make it harder to access or afford good foods then obviously it's going to be harder to get people to eat well.”
“This research shows that there would be significant health benefits from changes to competition and planning legislation.
“If Australia is really serious about preventive health and becoming the healthiest nation in the world we have to look at not just developing good health policy, but making all types of policy healthy,” Mr Wardle said.
Media enquiries: Jon Wardle – 0416 216917; Vanessa Mannix Coppard 042 420 7771
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