Abstract
This study examines and demonstrates the potential of integrating input-output analysis with nutritional geometry to assess the sustainability of Australian macronutrient dietary guidelines (AMDR) relating to macronutrients. We used daily dietary intake data of 5345 Australian adults from the most recent Australian Nutrient and Physical Activity Survey 2011-2012 and an input-output database for the Australian economy to quantify the environmental and economic impacts associated with dietary intake. Then, we examined the associations between environmental and economic impacts and dietary macronutrient composition using a multi-dimensional nutritional geometry representation. Thereafter, we assessed the sustainability of AMDR in terms of its alignment with key environmental and economic outcomes. We found that diets adhering to AMDR were associated with moderately high greenhouse gas emissions, water use, cost of dietary energy, and contribution to wages and salaries of Australians. But, only about 20.42% of respondents adhered to AMDR. Furthermore, high-plant protein diets adhering to the lower limit of recommended protein intake in AMDR were associated with low environmental impacts and high incomes. We conclude that encouraging consumers to adhere to the lower limit of the recommended intake of proteins and meeting the protein requirement through protein-dense plant sources could improve dietary environmental and economic sustainability in Australia. Our findings provide means of understanding the sustainability of dietary recommendations concerning macronutrients for any country in which input-output databases are available.
Presenters
Navoda Liyana PathiranaPostdoc Research Fellow, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Sustainability, Dietary Guidlines, Health, Input-output Analysis, Nutritional Geometry
