Hot Topics
With so much conflicting nutrition information around, it can be difficult to know who and what to believe! 
DAA’s ‘hot topics’ aim to summarise the latest research and current thinking on topical nutrition issues in the media.
New draft Australian Dietary Guidelines - April 2011
DAA is pleased the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating are being reviewed and refined. The Guidelines are currently being finalised and are expected to be released later this year. Read more here.
Registration and regulation of health professionals – March 2012
Professional regulation is currently a topical issue in Australia. View the DAA Board’s position here.
Organic food: Is it more nutritious? - March 2012
The answer? Neither is better or worse from a nutrition standpoint. The best advice is to eat a variety of foods, based on the recommendations of the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Read more here.
Fad diets: Like the proverbial ‘bad penny’ – they just don’t go away! – March 2012
Fad diets make it more difficult for many Australians to achieve and maintain a healthy weight in the long term. Like the proverbial bad penny, they have no value. View here.
Sugar – not so ‘toxic’ – February 2012
Sugar has been sensationally labeled as ‘toxic’ in an opinion piece in the February 2012 issue of the journal Nature. DAA believes classing sugar as ‘toxic’ and ‘addictive’ and placing it in the same boat as alcohol is incorrect and misleading. View here.
The Paleo Diet – November 2011
The Paleo Diet has generated a lot of recent media interest. DAA does not support the diet, as its recommendations are not in line with those of the Australian Dietary Guidelines. View here.
Genetic testing and dietary advice – October 2011
Recent media reports discussed the link between genetic testing and dietary advice, especially relating to weight loss. While being able to tailor dietary advice around a person’s genetic profile is an exciting concept, DAA believes this is still some way off. View here.
Taxing junk food – October 2011
In an attempt to tackle overweight and obesity in Denmark, the country’s Government recently introduced an additional tax on foods containing more than 2.3 per cent saturated fat. This was reported widely in the Australian media, with some calls for a similar tax in Australia. View Here.
Sushi and iodine – August 2011
Recent media reports have linked eating seaweed-wrapped sushi with excess intake of iodine, and suggested that this may lead to ‘thyroid illnesses’. Australians can safely eat sushi on a regular basis, but pregnant and breastfeeding women and children should restrict brown seaweed to once per week. View Here.
Low FODMAPs diet and weight loss – July 2011
The low-FODMAP diet is designed to help people better manage dietary intolerances, not to lose body fat – but a recent media report on the FODMAPs diet may have confused the issue. View Here.
Special diets on MasterChef Australia – June 2011
A recent episode of MasterChef Australia (22 June) involved contestants cooking meals for ‘special diets’. This episode has sparked much discussion among Australian dietitians. View Here.
Sugar and obesity - June 2011
Sugar has been blamed as the ‘root of all evil’ in Australia’s obesity crisis. But DAA believes it is simplistic and unhelpful to blame sugar alone for such a complex issue. View Here
Food allergy – June 2011
DAA applauds the work of groups like Anaphylaxis Australia in raising awareness of food allergies and the implications for those affected. This topic has been discussed in the media in line with the recent 2011 Food Allergy Awareness Week. View Here.
Antioxidants – June 2011
There is good evidence that eating more antioxidant-rich foods can help promote good health and prevent the risk of developing some diseases. But recent media attention has questioned the health benefits of antioxidants as a supplement to our diet. View Here.
Pregnancy: Nutrition and food safety – April 2011
A recent media article suggested cautious pregnant women may be sacrificing diet quality by limiting their diet for fear of getting food poisoning. View Here.
Coconut oil - April 2011
Australian television program A Current Affair recently aired a story on popular natural remedies. One of the foods discussed was coconut oil, a plant-based oil rich in saturated fat. View Here.
Obesity in young women – March 2011
Australia’s ‘obesity crisis’ is always topical in the media. But recent attention has focused on this issue in young women, a group more prone to obesity than other age groups. View Here.
Front-of-pack labelling – February 2011
The recent release of the findings of the Blewitt Review into food labelling, through the report ‘Labelling Logic’, has created renewed interest in food labelling laws in Australia. View Here
Plant sterols and cholesterol – January 2011
The effectiveness of plant sterol-enriched margarines in lowering blood cholesterol has recently been questioned. DAA believes plant sterols can play an important role, as part of a healthy diet, in helping to lower cholesterol. View Here
Hormone growth promotants – January 2011
From January 2011, Australian supermarket Coles is stocking only beef that is free from human growth promotants (HGPs). A media campaign by the retailer, which promotes HGP-free meat, has generated recent interest in this area. View Here
Calcium supplements and heart disease – September 2010
A recent study has found calcium supplements increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke. But the study found no link between high dietary intakes of calcium and heart disease risk. View Here
Coconut water – June 2010
Coconut water has been called the new ‘wonder health drink’ because of its ‘phenomenal hydrating properties’. But there is little scientific evidence to support these claims. View Here
Saturated fat – May 2010
Recent media stories have suggested saturated fat may not be as dangerous to heart health as once thought… View Here
Multivitamin supplements and breast cancer – May 2010
A recently-published Swedish study has suggested the use of multivitamin supplements may increase the risk of breast cancer in women. This research has been widely reported in the Australian media… View Here
Health fraud – May 2010
A recent media article ‘The $2billion health fraud’ in the Sunday Telegraph questioned the use of the Medicare Benefits Schedule items by health professionals treating patients with chronic diseases… View Here
Energy drinks – May 2010
Energy drinks have become increasingly popular in Australia - and these drinks are often marketed at younger people… View Here
Food industry sponsorship of sport – May 2010
DAA has long been calling for more responsible marketing by the food and beverage industries. Having sports clubs and sporting events sponsored by fast food companies sends the wrong message to Australians, particularly children… View Here
Bottled water – October 2009
Moves to ban the sale of commercially-bottled water in some parts of New South Wales has attracted recent media attention… View Here
Iodine – October 2009
In October 2009 it became law in Australia for all bread (except organic bread) to be fortified with iodine… View Here