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Australian Diets

With obesity rates doubling over the past two decades in Australia, health experts created new diet plans to help Australians lose weight. Some of the weight-loss plans are variations of the Atkins diet and others apply theories and research to promote weight-loss and healthy lifestyles. Health and social costs will likely increase in the near future due to the increased obesity rates in the country.

  1. Healthy Living Pyramid

    • Nutrition Australia developed the Healthy Living Pyramid (HLP) to give people an outline regarding healthy proportions and types of food they should eat in order to lose weight and create a healthy lifestyle. This guide uses a pyramid to denote proportions as well as types of food on each level. This diet plan also involves a "move more' concept that prompts Australians to regularly exercise simply because they eat on a daily basis. The base of the pyramid is mainly composed of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, wholegrain breads and cereals. Nutrition Australia recommends eating more from this larger level and limiting portions from foods found on the smallest level that contain sugars and fats.

    Total Wellbeing

    • Originating from a vast number of public inquests, the Commonwealth Scientific Research Organization developed a health plan to find out if high-protein diets really help people lose weight in a healthy manner. Similar to the Atkins diet in the United States, the Total Wellbeing diet is based on high-protein, low-fat meal plans. However, this diet incorporates more carbohydrates than its American counterpart because researchers found that slow-release carbohydrates are necessary to increase energy levels and stabilizes blood sugar levels in the body. This diet also includes high-fiber servings, such as breakfast cereals and fresh fruit, and promotes exercise as part of the weight-loss plan. Recommended protein levels come from lean meat, seafood and dairy sources. However, it is worthwhile to note that too much protein can cause kidney and heart disease problems, and this diet is only based on about 12 weeks of research study.

    Glycemic Index (GI)

    • This diet involves cutting out foods that are high on the glycemic index and incorporating foods low on the GI list, such as legumes, muesli, porridge, oats, chick peas, fruits and wholegrain fiber. This is a lifestyle plan that encourages people to eat foods that are modestly processed, if at all, and those that have lower GI ratings, such as wholegrain pasta and cereals. White bread, bagels and rice crackers are discouraged because they have higher GI ratings and are normally highly-processed items. The ultimate goal is to support weight loss and healthy cholesterol levels on a long-term basis.

    The SureSlim Program

    • This weight-loss plan is based on individual information involving medical exams and history, lifestyle and food preferences. The goal of this diet plan is to encourage healthy metabolic rates and proper hormone levels in the body. Due to the individualized attention weight-loss seekers receive, there is a free associated with this diet. SureSlim diets range in length from six-week schedules up to 52-week plans. Personalized weight loss plans are created based on the information collected from you.

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