Water - Everyone's Drink of Choice

This Cross-Council project aimed at identifying and implementing actions to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and to increase the consumption of water.

Interventions included:

• a shift in vending machine options,
• ensuring appropriate catering options are available, and
• the improved provision of drinking water in public spaces.

This project aligns with the Yarra Ranges Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2017-2021. This is deemed an important project as:

• 49.5% of residents within the Yarra Ranges Municipality are overweight or obese.
• 52% of residents consume sugar-sweetened soft drinks regularly, compared to 46% across Victoria. This includes 11% who consume them daily and 30% who consume them at least weekly.
• A relatively high level of residents (6%) report not consuming water at all, compared to the state average of 3% for Victoria. For residents who do report water consumption, their consumption is still well below the State average.

The current environment within the Yarra Ranges Municipality is one which offers a high level of access to, affordability of and promotion of the ‘discretionary foods’ which are key contributors to poor diets. Less healthy choices dominate food options in the everyday settings where the population works, commutes, learns and lives.

Future directions of this project include working towards the Healthy Choices Guideline implementation and the implementation of a catering policy which makes healthy choices more available and visible to staff.

Organisation: Yarra Ranges Council