Take the Fast Lane to Poor Health.

'I'd like a heart attack with extra pickles, a side of diabetes and a super-sized tumor, to go.’ While this may be a drastic comment it is not too far from the truth. The latest global survey by medical insurer BUPA found that sixty percent of Australians are overweight or obese but only thirty percent realize they are (ABC, 2011). Obesity, along with other dietary related diseases are becoming more apparent in society. This could be because of Australians working longer hours, therefore making the reliance on a quick and cheap meal even greater. In turn this has created a thriving business for magazines such as Taste, Delicious and in store supermarket brochures that feature fast and simple recipes. This essay outlines food selection models such as the Dietary Guidelines for all Australians that the Australian Government has developed. Why these convenient recipes are so successful, and how these recipes compare to what the health authorities say will be analysed.

‘Take 4’ recipes and ‘Meals in Minutes’ have become immensely popular among average Australian families. They are not your typical ‘fast food’ example but there is much disbelief surrounding the overall nutritional content of these recipes for both adults and adolescents. Numerous recipes within ‘Taste’ magazine were found to only contain one of the food groups that Australians should be consuming everyday. This is an appalling find, considering most Australians wouldn’t know this to be the case.

The Australian government has been providing nutrition advice for more than 75 years. In the past two decades the National Health and Medical Research Council has developed and disseminated guidelines providing dietary advice for All Australians. The Dietary Guidelines for all Australians seek to promote the potential benefits of healthy eating, not only to reduce the risk of diet-related diseases but also to improve the community’s health and wellbeing (Australian Government, 2010). The Guidelines recommend that we eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, legumes, breads, cereals (preferably wholegrain), lean meat, fish, poultry, milk, yogurt, cheese (reduced fat varieties) and to limit saturated fats, salt and consume only moderate amounts of sugar (Australian Government, 2010). Within the guidelines they list the recommended serves for adolescents and adults along with examples as to how to achieve these serves.

Although the Government has provided the public with these guidelines, Australia’s health still continues to decline. A National survey shows that diabetes is now three times as common as it was 20 years ago, with over 800,000 of today’s society being diagnosed with the disease. As identified by the Australian Government this is due to low levels of exercise and especially the increase in individuals becoming overweight and obese (Australia’s Health Report, 2010). It was also found that in 2007-08, about half of adults consumed 2 serves of fruit when the recommended number is 2-5. For vegetables, fewer than one in ten ate 5 serves when the recommended number is 5-7 (Australian Health Report, 2010). A national children’s survey in 2007 shows that only 1% of children aged between 14-16 met the fruit recommendations if fruit juice was counted. The situation is much worse for vegetables. If potatoes are counted, about 5% met the recommendations. If they are not counted, none did (Australia’s Health Report, 2010). These statistics are atrocious. It is awful to think of what the nation’s health will be like if people continue to live without variety in their diets. Along with the obvious advantages of a healthy diet consisting of the recommended serves of fruit, vegetables, breads and cereals, meat, and dairy, such as lowered risk of heart diseases and diabetes. But when looking at the recipes within Taste magazine it is hard to believe they provide no nutritional benefit. People are lured by the glamorous photos and presentation of the meals. People are blinded by the decorative pictures and attention grabbing titles that say “Impress your family with this rocket-topped delight that's easy to cook and even cheaper to make” (Taste Magazine, 2011). So what role does the media have in this argument? Perhaps it is the media that are to blame for the decrease in the nation’s health.

‘Meals in Minutes’ or ‘Take 4 ingredients’ are heavily promoted in the media. These ingredients and technique friendly recipes promote convenient and user friendly meals for time poor parents. The marketing by best selling authors Bermingham and McCosker introduce their cook book, Take 4 ingredients; “If you are a busy person, or on a tight budget, have moved out of home, are still fine tuning your culinary skills, are going camping, are on the move and haven't a lot of room for a full pantry, OR you simply haven't had time to do the groceries, then this is the book for you!” (4Ingredients, 1988) Appealing statements such as these are extremely enticing to the average working person. People can relate to what is being said and become interested by what the magazine has to offer. The 4 ingredients series has become the best selling cookbook within Australia with over two million copies sold. This is not surprising as the recipes are aimed to suite people that have no time to cook.

Australian media has disguised the truth about what the nutritional content is in these recipes by hiding behind quotes such as “Fast, Fabulous and Flavorsome recipes, using just 4 ingredients” (4Ingredients, n.d). Although this is not the case with all recipes, through research many have been found to only include one food group and recommended serve that the Dietary Guidelines for all Australians suggests. Further, the only food groups that fulfilled the requirements were ‘extras’ such as ice cream, butter or pastry and ‘meat’. This was precisely the case with a recipe found in Taste magazine. A dish entitled ‘Crispy-skinned chilli chicken’ sounds delicious but only contains the recommended serve for meat (100g/person), which in turn is not lean as they used chicken thighs, which contain a high level of saturated fat. This is inexcusable, as the recipe did not contain any vegetables or wholegrain breads and cereals. Another poor example that was also found within taste magazine was Pan-fried gnocchi with sage butter. The recommended serve for butter per person is 20 grams as stated in the Dietary Guidelines for All Australians, which is 80 grams in total for a family of four. This recipe however contains 150 grams of butter, which is almost double the suggested serve. This recipe only contains 1/3 of a cup of sage leaves to flavour the gnocchi and no trace of vegetables. Although because it is an Italian flavoured meal it is possible to add vegetables such as mushrooms or tomatoes to provide the recommended serve for both an individual and a family. It is possiable add more vegetables but also more cheese preferably low fat to make up the required serve for calcium. To achieve this is requires no extra skills or time.

It is recipes like these that cause so much damage to Australians’ health. People are neglecting their bodies of vital nutrients that are needed to maintain a healthy wellbeing. It is very hard for people to read between the lines when the media makes these pages so inviting. Each recipe is presented in the best light, to appeal to the average Australian family in cost, presentation, efficiency, ingredients, and skills. These recipes need to be exposed for what they really are before they start to radically affect individuals’ physical wellbeing. The media has a huge impact on what individuals buy and how they view things either in a positive or negative way. It is important that the lack of nutritional value in these meals is addressed so the public knows what they are putting into their bodies. Otherwise people will become more reliant on these recipes and the need for fast meals will only increase.

So why do so many people choose to eat these meals? It could possibly be the marketing; companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars exposing individuals and families to advertisements and marketing campaigns to eat their food. Or perhaps people chose to eat these meals simply because they want instant gratification rather than considering the nutritional value. However if people do not realise the implications that these recipes are having on their health they will develop serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. There are many simple modifications that individuals can make to these recipes, which could lower the chances of having a negative impact on their wellbeing. At the end of the day it is up to the individual, the choice is theirs. As to those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for sickness or quite possibly end up with no time at all.