The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation says there’s a really strong opportunity for the Northern Territory Government to set standards for healthy eating in remote communities.
ALPA and other advocates have been calling for the implementation of policies that would boost the visibility and access to healthier foods in remote community stores while making unhealthy options less desirable.
One example would be for remote stores to not promote unhealthy foods and to relocate soft-drinks from the fridge to the shelf.
ALPA’s nutrition manager Khia De Silva says communities want to see healthy food policies to reduce the life expectancy gap.
A recent report showed the Northern Territory Government has a long way to go to address obesity and create healthier food environments.
The latest Food Policy Index report found that improving healthy food retail in remote communities is a key priority.
It has been estimated that if ALPA’s model was implemented territory wide, the reduction of sugar consumption could be as much as 90 tonnes a year, which equates to the weight of 60 medium sized family cars
Such a reduction in the sugar would lead to a 10 per cent risk reduction in mortality from cardiovascular disease.
Listen to the interview with ALPA’s nutrition manager Khia De Silva:
ALPA Deputy Chairperson Micky Wunungmurra spoke in a video on YouTube recently to highlight the importance of the promoting healthy foods in remote communities.
