News

Healthy vending machines at Joondalup Health Campus

Nov 23, 2017

Doctors and dietitians at Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) are leading the charge to introduce healthier vending machines at the hospital.

Head of Paediatrics Professor Desiree Silva said her team started looking at the introduction of healthy vending machines months ago, gained the support of the hospital’s Executive and is now fast-tracking the project.

“We know that vending machines in the hospital are an important source of snacks and meal substitutes, particularly for visitors after-hours,” she said. “More than 60 per cent of Australian adults and 27 per cent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese in Australia, which is absolutely shocking. Being overweight increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer in both adults and children and so we need to be doing all we can to help encourage healthy eating.”

“Earlier this year we conducted an audit on the vending machines and found they had far below the recommended amount of healthy food and drinks and far in excess of the recommended amounts of food and drinks that should be avoided – such as those high in saturated fat, sugar or salt.”

Paediatrician Lana Bell said that as a result of the audit JHC decided to introduce fresh food vending machines that provide choices aligned with the Food and Nutrition Policy for WA Health Services and Facilities: Healthy Options WA.

Under this policy food and drinks are categorised as being either a green, amber or red item, where green items have the greatest nutrient value, amber items are moderate value and red items are of limited nutritional value.

JHC Support Services Manager Calum McLeod said the hospital was on the brink of purchasing its own vending machines so the turnover of highly perishable items – such as fresh sandwiches, wraps and fresh fruit - could be managed and the hospital would have full control over the choices available.

“We will ensure at least 50 per cent of items in these machines are green and that those items are most prominently displayed. We will not have any red items – such as sugary drinks - in our new, healthy vending machines,” he said.

Head of Dietetics JooLi Robertson said it was important for hospitals to provide healthy choices: “Often visitors to hospital are tired and stressed. Reaching for a sugary pick-me-up may be tempting but it is not supportive of good health. We as a health organisation have a responsibility to enable people to make better food choices,” she said.

Caption: Joondalup Health Campus Dietitian Tristan Schwartzkopff with Head of Paediatrics Professor Desiree Silva.