Recently I had the privilege of hearing one of my all time dietetic gurus, Linda Tapsell from Wollongong University, speak about how we relate to beverages. Alongside her, Claire Richards from Coca-Cola Oceania shared some fascinating insights into New Zealander’s… Read More ›
Nutrition and Health 
A seventh state of Australia – no way mate!
We both claim to have invented the pavlova, but when it comes to everyday food are we very different from our Australian cousins? Ask any New Zealander and they’ll say yes. But most Australians, it seems, think of us as… Read More ›
If only it were that simple!
Lately, having done a small amount of work with McDonald’s NZ, I’ve been pondering the place of takeaway foods in our diet. Like them or loathe them, they’re here to stay. A recent evaluation of the zoning strategy employed by… Read More ›
Do as I say but not as I do?
When we become parents there’s no instruction booklet on how to become perfect role models 24/7. After all, we’re still only human. All children are shaped and formed by good and bad experiences. I was just reading an article about… Read More ›
Helping kids buy from the school cafeteria – will ‘Big Brother’ tactics work?
A new computer system telling parents what their child has bought in the school cafeteria that day is being used in some American schools. The idea is that parents can make sure their children are making appropriate choices and spending… Read More ›
What to do when good research gives you a bad result?
All good scientists know that the balance of evidence from objective, well designed research is the only sound basis for making recommendations. So what happens when we don’t like the results we get from research? I was astounded to read… Read More ›
When is nasty truly nasty?
The word nasty is a strong one that tends to elicit an involuntary feeling of discomfort in most of us – and people do say that your gut reaction is the most important. According to one dictionary “nasty” means: 1. … Read More ›
Our nation’s health and wealth – whose responsibility is it anyway?
Politics might be about people, but at the end of the day it is the fiscal health of our country and the impact an issue has on that health that is guaranteed to exercise the conscience and therefore policy direction… Read More ›
“Just because it’s not in the targets doesn’t mean it’s not important”
As soon as I heard the Health Minister had announced the revised list of health targets, which exclude nutrition and obesity, I felt a blog coming on. Especially since it kind of slipped in quietly, with the media otherwise occupied… Read More ›
Why should foodies participate in the on-line space?
A blog is just one of the many forms of social media that is having a profound influence on consumers’ attitudes, knowledge and ultimately consumption habits. The more traditional mediums remain just as relevant and important but you ignore the… Read More ›