ALARMING MOVE AWAY FROM PLANTS BASED FOODS AND REDUCED VARIETY IN DIETS Exercise levels in the healthy and population with chronic conditions, also cause for concern

With
Julie-Ann Yap
Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Nutritionist &
Founder, Julzhealth

Drew Harrisberg
Exercise Physiologist & Diabetes Educator &
Founder, Drew’s Daily Dose Podcast

SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | October 2026

Australian Dietary Guidelines (https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-dietary-guidelines-1-5) recommend enjoying a wide variety of nutritious foods every day, including plenty of vegetables of different types and colours, and fruit.1 Yet recently released National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) data show fewer than one in four people (23.1 per cent) met the recommendation for fruit intake on a usual basis, and just 4.3 per cent met the recommendation for vegetables, legumes and beans ( https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/food-and-nutrition/consumption-food-groups-australian-dietary-guidelines/2023)

Exercise physiologist and diabetes educator Drew Harrisberg and Accredited Practising Dietitian Julie-Ann Yap have highlighted concerns about Australians’ physical activity levels and dietary habits in interviews with Australian Health Journal.

Harrisberg raised concerns about insufficient physical activity and strength training, alongside poor adherence to dietary guidelines. He also highlighted the importance of understanding how different forms of exercise affect blood glucose levels for people living with diabetes,

“So as a population, we’re probably not moving enough, and the modalities that we’re doing is also not quite optimised,” Harrisberg said.

Harrisberg himself was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 21, and made it his mission to better understand and manage his health by making positive changes to the way he lives, eats and moves, as well as the mindset he brings to everyday life.

Drew is also a spokesperson for new Australian consumer research revealing nearly half of Australians (47 per cent) eat four or fewer colours of fruits and vegetables each week. “The new research reveals a clear gap between perception and reality. While seven in 10 (71 per cent) Australians feel confident that their diet includes a variety of plant foods, nearly half (47 per cent) consume four or fewer colours of fruits and vegetables each week,” (doi:10.1155/2019/2125070) said Drew.

Yap highlighted declining plant-food consumption and variety, with cost-of-living pressures influencing Australians’ food choices. Reduced consumption of vegetables, fruit, beans and legumes can affect fibre and micronutrient intake.

Both Yap and Harrisberg, citing Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures highlight a substantial gap between Australians’ dietary habits and national dietary guidelines, particularly for vegetables, legumes and beans.

“Two concerns that I’m seeing is that people are eating less variety of plant foods and also less overall plant foods,” Yap said.

Both interviews highlight the importance of sustainable dietary habits, informed nutritional choices and appropriate physical activity to support long-term health and wellbeing.

Source: Adapted from transcript and Viva Communications media release for eimele (October 2026)