Home

From 2012 all fast food companies will be required to have basic nutritional information on their menus which is big step forward in fighting the obesity problem facing many Australians.

Since former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a review of food labeling laws for fast food, we have since a more cohesive strategy being put forward.
This was one of the recommendations from the National Preventative Health taskforce.

While food labeling nutritional panels can be quite confusing, the new fast food labeling laws will simplify the process by only requiring the calorie/kilo joule information, saturated fat, trans-fat and salt (sodium) content of the product.

Currently some fast food companies have this information on there websites but go into a fast food outlet and ask for this nutritional information and you get a blank look.

Food standards Australia currently has a great information sheet on what Food Labeling actual means.

Unlike some of the larger fast food players that currently have some nutritional information available on there website only, the new laws will require that the nutritional information is displayed on the menu board or at the cash register.

This will be welcomed by those looking to limit their energy intake with Australian and New Zealand Food Standards recommending a daily intake of 8700kJ, a figure that needs to be adjusted based on age, weight and pregnancy.

It’s interesting though that we can change the Prime Minister in a day but these changes want take place for another 2 years:))

I think consumers may be shocked at the perceived “healthy food choices” may not be so healthy such as salads full of rich, fatty dressings.

After 2 years since being contacted by the City of Yarra in May 2008 about whether Fitstyler was conducting Boot camps on the war memorial in Barkley Gardens in Richmond we now have resolution.

In what started as a highly restrictive policy against fitness trainers in the City of Yarra has ended in a more amicable policy “Commercial Fitness Activity Personal Trainers Policy and Permit System” that balances the needs of the local community, park users, commercial fitness operators and the long term sustainability of open space infrastructure.

With the growing popularity of outdoor fitness training, we needed a policy that addresses not only the current but future usage of parks and gardens. More importantly it gives the public confidence in knowing that any fitness trainer undertaking exercise classes will need to have Public Liability Insurance of $10,000,000 and Public Indemnity of $5,000,000 together with appropriate qualifications.

A big thank you to the commercial fitness operators, Kinect Australia, The Age and the City of Yarra officers, in particular Mark Dornau, Greg Anders, Stuart Grant, Jenny O’Brien and Caitlin Ryan. Without their support and belief in the benefits of providing accessible exercise programs to the public, none of this would have been possible.

No doubt there will be similar challenges in the future with councils who have not formally addressed the regulation of their parks and gardens. I can only hope that the process, documentation and outcomes from the City of Yarra can form the foundations and direction for future councils to adopt.

Like I always like to say, persistence overrides resistance, whether it’s trying to lose weight to changing a proposed by-law:))

The government is exploring the possibility of making it mandatory that all fast food outlets include the amount of calories on their products.

With no immediate solution to Australia’s obesity problem, a range of measures need to be introduced. With Australia’s fast food consumption increasing by 109% from 1999 – 2009, there needs to be more education and information regarding what people are eating.

Even as we speak McDonalds are advertising their “Family Dinner Box”, but walk into McDonalds and try and get some nutritional info, mission impossible.

The City of Melbourne have taking leadership with regards to food vendors in Melbourne’s QV food court who can voluntarily adopt there Traffic light system of food labeling with Red, Amber and green denoting what is good, ok and to not so great.

The traffic light system was also introduced as part of the tender process for the new Royal Children’s Hospital.

By having these labeling panels or nutritional information available, people can make more informed decisions about what they consume.

Finally there is an acknowledgment of the dangers of secondhand smoke by the City Of Melbourne and Frankston councils.

Melbourne City Council will roll out there zero tolerance crackdown on smokers dropping their butts on the footpath with a $234 on the spot fine for discarding a lite cigarette or $117 fine if it’s extinguished.

Frankston City Council are taking a tougher stance with a proposed exclusion zone for smoking which is still to go before council for approval. If common sense prevails, the new trial will commence in September and end on the first of March 2011. This will ban smoking on 3 major streets including opposite the railway station.

With all the documented studies of the dangers of second hand smoke, I find it strange why smoking is still allowed where members of the public are exposed to this carcinogenic toxic gas.

Making changes, whether to your eating habits or changing smoking behavior is usually slow, too many immediate changes leads to people reverting back to their old habits within a short period of time or resisting the change all together.

The major breakthrough was the ban of smoking in pubs , cafes and restaurants, followed by the ban of smoking in outdoor areas, within 5 meters of children’s playgrounds and then in cars with children.
Of course there was the fear mongering saying that patronage would be effected which is wasn’t so of course fear will be more fear mongering campaigns, especially when the big tobacco companies are the big losers.

The City of Melbourne has released the new Swanston st redevelopment plan which will see European style piazza’s across four of the main intersections.

The major development is keeping Swanston Street closed to through traffic and giving a separated cycling lane, similar to the Copenhagen style bicycling lanes.

With pedestrian and cycling injuries a by product of the existing Swanston Street structure, it is awesome that finally cyclists have been acknowledged as a legitimate alternative form of transport into the city.

Overwhelmingly improved cycling access (44%) and reduce/removing cars (34%) were the major activities supported by comments made to the City of Melbourne.

The preferred means of transport was walking (44%), followed by cycling (36%), with car usage not even rating a mention.

While this proposal is still to go before Melbourne City council’s next meeting on Tuesday 2 February, there are still a few outstanding issues being commercial vehicle and taxi access.

Overrall a promising move forward to revitalise Swanston Street while giving cyclists a safer option when traveling through the heart of the city.