![]() Interestingly, some meal plans from popular diets once used for therapeutic purposes require the purchasing foods that are not standard practice, or outside of the norm. In addition, Ni Mhurchu and Ogra found that a healthy food basket based on core foods in New Zealand was slightly more expensive compared to the cost of a ‘regular’ shopping basket reflective of the population ($6AUD).Ĭontrastingly, research from Brazil has reported that minimally processed and unprocessed foods (Brazilian Real $4.28/kg) deemed to be healthy are more affordable when compared to processed (BR$7.64/kg) and ultra-processed foods (BR$6.92/kg) which may yield a less desirable nutrition profile. But, international data displays conflicting results as ‘healthy food’ in the UK has been reported to be consistently more expensive compared to less healthy foods, by up to £5 ($9AUD). When Lee and Kane compared healthy (modelled on the five AGHE food groups and foundation diet) with unhealthy (based on intake of Australians from the Australian Health Survey and inclusion of discretionary choices) diets in Queensland for five different household structures, the cost of the ‘healthy’ diet was more affordable for all households, likely due to the removal of alcoholic beverages, take-away foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. But, research suggests that the prices of healthy foods in differing SES and income areas, may be equivalent to one another, or differ by up to 3%. However, it is a common misconception that a healthy balanced diet, one balanced with core food groups and minimal discretionary foods is unaffordable and unobtainable, particularly depending on socioeconomic status (SES) and location. The Australian government guidelines include a variety of staple foods such as breads, cereals, pasta, fruit, vegetables, legumes and dairy products that are generally priced affordably and are non-taxable (Government Services Tax-free). However, it is important to acknowledge that qualified Australian health professionals may also provide dietary advice that differs from the national guidelines depending upon an individual’s medical history, food preferences, allergies and pre-existing intolerances. It is therefore relatively unsurprising and concerning that the popular dietary advice from unqualified and underqualified individuals contradicts or deviates from the Australian government guidelines, the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG). ![]() In recent times, nutrition and diet related advice has deviated from traditional and qualified health professionals such as nutritionists and dietitians towards social media and unqualified sources. In 2011–2012, almost 2.5 million Australians reported having been on a weight loss diet, a higher proportion of which were females. Resultingly there is demand for weight loss diets and meal plans to suit a variety of individuals. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for health complications but can be modified by nutrition and lifestyle. In 2017–2018, two thirds of the Australian adult population were overweight or obese and a higher proportion of adults were within the lowest socioeconomic areas. Further, when dietary patterns are adapted for weight loss, or followed by consumers, deviations from foundational principles tend to occur which may influence overall cost. The financial feasibility for long-term sustainment of weight loss diets may be questionable for groups including low-income earners and low socioeconomic status. Weekly grocery shopping of entire units cost between $345-$625AUD, over $100AUD greater than the spending of an average Australian ($237AUD/week). The AGHE meal plan was the least expensive and 8 Weeks to Wow was the most expensive. Weekly meal plans (absolute grams) cost between $93-193AUD. The weekly grocery shopping cost was determined through summation of all ingredients and their entire unit size to compare weekly costs. Seven meal plans were analysed to quantify the absolute grams required of all ingredients across seven days and multiplied by the cost of the ingredient per gram to determine the total cost of each ingredient based on unit size and price. ![]() A new methodology was piloted to assess the cost of weight loss diets using seven meal plans. In contrast, healthy eating principles such as the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) place an emphasis on fresh produce and staple foods but are sometimes thought to be unaffordable. Certain weight loss diets may be unaffordable and differ from their traditional nutrition composition to include non-conventional premium products. ![]() Weight loss diets continue to rise in popularity however, the associated costs are seldom reported. ![]()
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