FEaST Action Group
The Western Public Health Unit Catchment Food and Healthier Eating Action on Systems Action Group (FEaST) aims to enable people to access and enjoy healthier eating and drinking by working across food systems.
Population Health
Healthier eating and food systems
Poor nutrition affects 95% of people living in the Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) catchment, contributing to preventable chronic health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancers.
Healthier eating supports the growth and development of our children and can prevent chronic health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and dental caries. A strong and equitable food system is central for promoting health and is vital to support healthier everyday eating.
The WPHU has identified improving food systems and healthy eating as one of three population health priorities for our catchment, as outlined in our Population Health Catchment Plan. Seven of eight local governments in the WPHU catchment have identified healthier eating and food systems as a health priority for their work.
To support local level access to healthy food, we have established the WPHU Catchment Food and Healthier Eating Action on Systems Action Group (FEaST). FEaST is a collective of stakeholders from local government, community health, health services, not for profit and other sectors, working to support and enhance food systems, with the goal of promoting healthier eating habits within our catchment. For more information on FEaST, click here.
Together with our catchment partners, we are working to enable people to access and enjoy healthier eating and drinking by working across food systems.
Focus areas
To improve healthier eating and food systems our work is guided by four identified focus areas:
1.
First 2000 days of life.
2.
Healthy and equitable food systems.
3.
Commercial determinants of healthy eating.
4.
Healthy food environments in public settings.
Current initiatives
Amplifying initiatives for healthier eating in public settings
- Healthy Eating Advisory Service (HEAS) provides free support to long day cares to create a healthier eating environment.
- HEAS recently released Cooks Connect resources designed to empower health promotion officers in establishing and running local cook’s networks to support long day care cooks to meet menu planning guidelines.
Addressing unhealthy food and drink advertising
- Development of an unhealthy food and drink advertising audit toolkit in partnership with Cancer Council Victoria.
- Amplification of Cancer Council Victoria’s Food Fight campaign.
- Local data collection in Wyndham, Hobsons Bay and Merri-Bek local government areas to understand exposure to unhealthy food and drink advertising on public transport.
- Submission to federal inquiry into limiting unhealthy food and drink advertising to children.
Healthy and equitable food systems
- Mapping food access in Melton.
- Scoping and exploring local food systems projects for amplification.
Resources
- The Catering for Good Directory – Find healthier catering options for your workplace that are good for people, good for the environment, and good for the community.
- Cooks Connect – Resources designed to empower health promotion officers in establishing and running local cook’s networks to support long day care cooks in sharing knowledge and developing their skills in menu planning to align with the menu planning guidelines for long day care and children’s nutrition-related needs.
- Food Fight – Together, we can protect our kids from unhealthy food and drink advertising.
- Healthy Eating Advisory Service (HEAS) – supports organisations across Victoria to promote healthier foods and drinks and meet government food and drink policies and guidelines.
WPHU's work in healthier eating and food systems
Assessing Cost-Effective (ACE) Health Economic Modelling tool webinar
The webinar covers the intricacies of the Assessing Cost-Effective (ACE) Health Economic Modelling tool, a powerful instrument for estimating the health benefits and cost-savings associated with changes in population profiles of risk factors such as high body weight, physical inactivity, and sedentary behaviour.