Population dietary guidelines have started to include information about the environmental impacts of food choices, but more quantifiable evidence is needed, particularly about the impacts associated with discretionary foods. This paper utilised the 2011–2012 Australian Health Survey food intake data along with a highly disaggregated input–output model to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) of Australians’ dietary intake, and compare current patterns of eating which vary in diet quality and GHGe to the recommended diet. The average dietary GHGe were 18.72 ± 12.06 and 13.73 ± 8.72 kg CO2e/day for male and female adults, respectively. The correlation between total energy and GHGe was r = 0.54 (p < 0.001). Core foods contributed 68.4% and discretionary foods 29.4%. Within core foods, fresh meat and alternatives (33.9%) was the greatest contributor. The modelling of current dietary patterns showed the contribution of discretionary foods to GHGe was 121% greater in the average diet and 307% greater in the “lower quality, higher GHGe” diet compared to the recommended diet. Reducing discretionary food intake would allow for small increases in emissions from core foods (in particular vegetables, dairy and grains), thereby providing a nutritional benefit at little environmental expense. Public health messages that promote healthy eating, eating to one’s energy needs and improved diet quality will also contribute to lowering GHGe.
Overconsumption of Energy and Excessive Discretionary Food Intake Inflates Dietary Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Australia
G. Hendrie,D. Baird,B. Ridoutt,M. Hadjikakou,M. Noakes
Published 2016 in Nutrients
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2016
- Venue
Nutrients
- Publication date
2016-10-31
- Fields of study
Medicine, Economics, Environmental Science
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
CONCEPTS
- australian health survey 2011–2012
The national food intake dataset used to estimate Australians' dietary emissions in this analysis.
Aliases: 2011–2012 Australian Health Survey, AHS 2011–2012
- core foods
Nutrient-dense foods that form the main part of a recommended diet in the Australian dietary framework.
Aliases: core food group
- dietary greenhouse gas emissions
The greenhouse gas emissions associated with the foods and drinks consumed in a person's diet, expressed as CO2e per day.
Aliases: GHGe, dietary GHGe
- discretionary foods
Foods and drinks that are not necessary for health and are typically high in added sugar, salt, or saturated fat.
Aliases: discretionary food group
- fresh meat and alternatives
A core-food subgroup including fresh meat and protein alternatives considered within the dietary breakdown.
Aliases: meat and alternatives
- lower quality, higher ghge diet
A modeled dietary pattern characterized by poorer diet quality and higher associated greenhouse gas emissions.
Aliases: lower-quality higher-emissions diet
- recommended diet
The modeled diet pattern based on dietary recommendations used as the benchmark for comparison.
Aliases: guideline diet
- total energy intake
The total caloric intake consumed per day, used here as a dietary quantity related to emissions.
Aliases: energy intake
REFERENCES
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