Obesity

There is no sugar coating it. According to the latest health survey data 66% of Australian adults are overweight or obese. That's two out of every three people. New Zealand is the third 'fattest' country behind Mexico and the US. It's unfortunately becoming the new normal.

Of course, not everybody is going to look like a Victoria Secret model, and that's ok. There are many shapes and sizes that can be 'healthy'. But we also need to be realistic. Carrying too much weight (ie. being overweight or obese) can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and premature death.

There are many factors that contribute to these statistics, and we're not here to challenge the stats. The general consensus of the literature suggests that in otherwise healthy people, obesity is related to an energy imbalance. That basically means getting too much energy from food and drink compared to how much is burnt off during the day. This isn't carte blanch to eat whatever you want, because food is more than just energy, but it does mean, the occasional treat is unlikely to increase the chances of weight gain.

If we think about it, recent research is suggesting that our refined sugar intake has been declining, yet our waistlines (as a population) are still expanding. That supports the evidence that not one nutrient, like sugar, is linked to being overweight – it is more a reflection of our overall energy intake. Besides, it's not just sugar that gives us energy, it's also protein, fat and, yes, we said it, alcohol. The nifty graph below shows just how much energy each one of these components gives.

To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, our guidelines recommend eating a variety of whole foods. That includes breads and cereals, fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy. For most people, small changes – just 400 kJ a day can make a big difference, so the occasional treat is also ok.

Check out our tips for living well, and some healthy recipes for the whole family

Dental

It's funny to think of our teeth as a 'window to our healthiness', but according to the National Advisory Committee on Oral Health, our wellbeing, physical health and quality of life is fundamentally linked to how healthy our mouth is.

As the entry point to our body, if not looked after, our mouths can easily become 'sick' (diseased or infected). One of the most common problems is tooth decay.

Tooth decay occurs when the hard outer enamel layer of the tooth is damaged. Damage happens because of bacteria on our teeth producing an acid, which over time breaks down the hard enamel. Any fermentable carbohydrate (think cooked pasta, bread and sugar) can be used by the bacteria in our mouth to produce acid.

It is not all doom and gloom. Saliva is our bodies own protection system and can neutralise the acid produced. This does however need time to happen. That's why, how frequently we eat and drink can play a big role in how likely we are to get holes in our teeth.

Other things can also increase our risk of getting tooth decay. Some we can control, some we can't. These include genetics, where we live, overall health, medications, access to fluoride, how often we visit the dentist and our regular brushing and flossing habits. Below, are some of our top tips to avoid tooth decay:

TIPS TO AVOID TOOTH DECAY

The Australian and New Zealand Dental Associations also recommend the following simple eating strategies that you can adopt to help keep your teeth healthy.

LIMIT INTAKE

Be careful how often you eat and drink sugary foods and drinks throughout the day.

CHEW GUM

Chew on sugar-free gum after a meal to promote saliva production.

DRINK QUICKLY

If you do want to drink a sugary or acidic beverage, drink it quickly rather than sipping it slowly over time. Sipping it slowly increases the exposure time of the drink on your teeth and interrupts the action of saliva.

SNACK SMART

Try not to snack between meals on sugary, starchy or acidic foods and drink. Instead snack on food and drinks that are kinder to your teeth like dairy products.

Diabetes

Did you know: Diabetes used to be called 'sugar diabetes' because they thought the sugar directly gave you diabetes. To recap, diabetes is a disorder in the way the body processes carbohydrates including sugars. In a normal situation when we eat carbohydrates our blood glucose levels rise and our body makes insulin. Insulin is like a 'key' which unlocks the bodies cells to take up the glucose floating around and either store it or use it as energy. If someone has diabetes there is a problem with the lock and key system.

These days the science has shown us that no one food or drink is directly linked to diabetes. We now know there are two main types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes, which is an auto-immune disease which is triggered by unknown causes and is a condition where the body doesn’t make enough insulin. It is often first diagnosed in children or teenagers and requires lifelong injections of insulin. It is not in any way associated with anything the person has done.

Type 2 diabetes on the other hand can be linked with lifestyle. Being overweight or obese can increase a persons risk of getting type 2 diabetes. It is often the excess body fat which means the insulin the body produces is not used properly. Like we mentioned above, we can become overweight or obese by eating too much energy from any source.

To help manage blood glucose levels (which go up and down across the day) those with diabetes are aware of how much carbohydrate and the type of carbohydrate they eat. Diabetes Australia, which provides good diet advice for those with diabetes, advises that people with diabetes can include some sugar in their diet. The exact amount of sugar will depend on age, activity level, weight and overall blood glucose control.