Why it’s Important

Excessive sugar and fat intake are problematic in three ways

Sugar

Excessive sugar intake leads to poor dental, endocrine and metabolic health outcomes

Fat

Excessive fat intake leads to poor cardiovascular, digestive and metabolic health outcomes

Energy Intake

These foods can be consumed in large amounts, and excessive energy intake can lead to poor metabolic health outcomes.

Excessive intake of sugar and fat has a disproportionate impact on overall nutritional intake, particularly on energy intake. Healthy eating is a cumulative endeavour. You can eat well most of the time with adequate fruit and vegetables, lean proteins etc, but only for a few meals to have a disproportionately negative impact on your energy intake.

Hyperpalatable Foods

Hyperpalatable foods are pleasurable to consume and their intake is difficult to manage. We promise to manage intake, but once we start consuming them, it’s hard to stop. It’s not your fault; these foods are designed to overwhelm your senses.

The problem is they are high in energy, low in nutrients and have a minimal satiating effect. 100g of milk chocolate (approximately half a block) contains 533 calories (2240kJ), and many people can consume it an hour after a meal.

What’s Essential to Know

The Australian guidelines recommend limiting intake of foods high in saturated fat and added sugar
to no more than 10% of your daily energy intake.

Foods high in added sugar:

Confectionery (lollies, chocolate)

Sweetened beverages (soft drinks, juice)

Desserts (ice cream)

Sweetened yoghurts

Breakfast cereals

Foods high in saturated fat:

Fatty snack foods (potato chips, crackers)

Deep-fried and high-fat fast-service foods

Biscuits, cakes and muffins

Pies and pastries

TENSH recommends managing ASSF intake to two or fewer meal equivalents (more on that shortly) weekly. This is a simple and easy way to track your intake of ASSF without counting calories (or kilojoules).

What is a Meal Equivalent?

A meal equivalent is a measure of ASSF intake as a total meal. It helps to calculate the contribution
of small and moderate portion sizes towards your total intake.

Small amount

0.33 meals

Handful of hot chips / regular chocolate bar / soft drink can / small muffin

Moderate amount

0.66 meals

Regular serving of hot chips / two pizza slices / 2+ chocolate bars

Large amount

1 meal

Large serving of chips / three or more pizza slices / or multiple servings of high-fat and high-added-sugar foods above

Why doesn’t it go beyond a large intake?

Healthy eating is all about balance, which requires managing intake. Many people can eat more food in a single sitting than the examples in the large amount. This will have an impact on total energy intake, and it may well exceed your daily target.

However, the reason TENSH caps intake assessment at a large amount is due to the focus on building habits. If you are eating substantial amounts, but limit it to twice a week, the majority of your food intake is likely sound.

Actionable Implementation

There are three things you need to do to manage added-sugar and saturated fat intake:

Identify hyperpalatable foods

We have defined hyperpalatable foods as those that once we start consuming, we struggle to stop. By their very nature, hyperpalatable foods are difficult to consume in small amounts, so we are setting ourselves up to fail by trying to do so.

Most people should identify their hyperpalatable foods and avoid consuming them for the time being. They can be reintroduced down the line, and they may no longer be hyperpalatable, making them easier to manage intake.

Once you have identified hyperpalatable foods that you will avoid, identify enjoyable foods that you will consume. These can still be foods high in added sugar or saturated fats that you enjoy, but you can manage your intake more effectively. This might mean eating a burger and fries instead of pizza, or a chocolate bar instead of ice cream, and so on.

Plan how ASSF intake will be managed

Ad-hoc intake of ASSF foods is difficult to manage. Your body and brain have evolved to seek out foods that are high in sugar and fat, as they were critical to survival. This was great when food was hunted and foraged, but not optimal now that food is omnipresent.

Without a strategy, you will likely give in to temptation and consume more than two meal equivalents weekly. Instead, consider some guidelines that can help. This might involve spreading them across the week, or saving them all until the weekend.

Consider the types of ASSF foods you enjoy. If you’re having pizza or larger meals, you'll need to avoid small and moderate servings. If you prefer smaller portion sizes, you can have them more frequently.

Consider practical scenarios

The golden triangle consists of pleasure, proximity, and inhibition. You must consider how each will be managed.

Managing pleasure requires considering what you will do when you typically reach for ASSF to pick you up, such as after a long day at work. Instead of ordering pizza on a Tuesday night, find a healthier option that can be ordered, such as a protein and vegetable-based bowl or salad.

Proximity is simple - put as much distance between you and these foods. Having an open block of chocolate in the fridge or pantry, while trying to avoid consumption until the weekend, is tempting fate. Remove these options from your home and office, or at least move them as far away as possible.

Inhibition can come from alcohol consumption, being in a group or even being home alone. Consider each of these steps, such as picking your meal ahead of time (and a glass of wine), developing polite refusal strategies for ad-hoc intake, and keeping your takeaway order on plan. So often, we feel the need to ‘make the most’ of ordering by treating ourselves to maximal calories, but really, the value of ordering food lies in the preparation and taste, which can be enjoyed without excessive intake.

Impact on Chronic Conditions

Excessive ASSF intake is linked to chronic diseases. Excessive saturated fat intake can elevate cholesterol, blood pressure and arterial inflammation.

Excessive sugar intake contributes to insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes, and impacts oral health effects such as cavities and gum disease. Excessive ASSF intake increases the risk of being overweight and obese, which can negatively impact metabolic health and function.

Impact on Workplace Health

Excessive intake of added sugar and saturated fat can contribute to the development of chronic conditions, which in turn increase absenteeism and presenteeism. Both are linked to reduced worker productivity.

Added-Sugar & Saturated Fat Intake