Our eating habits are influenced by many things including what our family and friends eat, what we like to eat and how much time we have. But our eating habits are also influenced by the food environment and what food is available and promoted.
Unfortunately, the food environment has become filled with unhealthy foods – those high in energy, saturated fat, added sugars and sodium and with little nourishment – that are also the most frequently promoted.
Being above a healthy weight and eating more of some foods and less of others increases our risk of cancer.
With alarming rates of overweight and obesity in Australia and Australians not eating enough wholegrains or vegetables and too much highly processed food, policy change is needed to help Australians minimise their risk of cancer.
We have developed policy priority areas based on the evidence of their effectiveness and the opportunities where we can contribute.
As an independent organisation our role is to advocate for policy change to reduce diet- and obesity-related cancers. These policies help people select healthier options and create environments that promote cancer-smart eating to lower cancer risk.
Please contact us on nutrition@nswcc.org.au to access any of our publications.
2 in 3 Australian adults are above a healthy weight
Cancers are linked to overweight and obesity
The cost of obesity in Australia