Recently announced Closing the Gap targets aim to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous people.

But if that’s to happen, health advice needs to be provided that is suitable for First Nations Australians. That includes providing culturally safe dietary advice, and acknowledging the difficulties some Indigenous people face in reliably accessing some foods recommended by official dietary guidelines. Without this, Indigenous Australians will be placed at even higher risk of illness from a poor diet, worsening existing disadvantage. It will also make closing the significant gap of life expectancy and disease between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians even harder to achieve.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines form the foundation of nutrition advice and education in Australia. But these guidelines have not been formulated to take into account Indigenous Australians’ traditional foods or dietary differences. Instead, they reflect the predominant Western culture, and implicitly assume Western dietary advice suits everyone.

Read the full article at The Conversation.