Our neighbourhoods are serviced by a range of food retail outlets. When food retail outlets that sell predominantly unhealthy food dominate (compared to those that sell predominantly healthy food), it can make it challenging for people to maintain healthy diets. Accordingly, it is important to know the mix of food retail outlets in our neighbourhoods, and the ways the food retail landscape is changing over time.
| Indicator | Result | Assessment* | What was measured? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ratio of unhealthy food outlets to healthy food outlets: |
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Inner Melbourne |
6.2 : 1 |
Ratio of unhealthy (incl. fast food, takeaway, pubs) to healthy food outlets (incl. supermarkets, greengrocers, fresh produce) in Greater Melbourne in 2016 (density per 10,000 people) |
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Change in ratio of unhealthy food outlets to healthy food outlets over time: |
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Inner Melbourne |
11 % decrease |
% change in ratio of unhealthy food outlets (incl. fast food, takeaway, pubs) to healthy food outlets (incl. supermarkets, greengrocers, fresh produce) in Greater Melbourne (density per 10,000 people): 2008 to 2016 |
* Green = ‘Promotes health’; Amber = ‘Needs further improvement to promote health’; Red = ‘Unhealthy’. Refer to Indicator Assessment Criteria at the bottom of the page.
Key Findings
- In Greater Melbourne, unhealthy food outlets dominate the landscape. In 2016, in growth areas, there were 8 unhealthy food outlets for every 1 healthy food outlet.
- The density of fast food outlets is growing over time. Between 2008 and 2016, in Greater Melbourne, the population increased by 21% while the number of fast food outlets increased by 92%.
- It is promising that, in Great Melbourne, the ratio of unhealthy to healthy food outlets is improving over time.
Key Recommendations
- All people in Australia should have equal access to healthy food options.
- Local governments should be empowered to have greater control over their community’s food retail environments and help address inequities observed in unhealthy diets and obesity levels. In some states and territories in Australia, state-level reform (e.g. change to planning regulations) is needed to enable greater local government action.
- Ongoing research to map the healthiness of food retail in all states and territories over time will help inform policy action aimed at creating food retail landscapes that support population health and obesity prevention efforts.
For more information
Journal Articles:
Needham C, Orellana L, Allender S, Sacks G, Blake MR, Strugnell C. (2020) Food retail environments in Greater Melbourne 2008–2016: longitudinal analysis of intra-city variation in density and healthiness of food outlets. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020 Jan;17(4):1321.
For a closer look at the food retail outlet landscape in Greater Melbourne, access the Australian Food Retail Outlet Monitoring Tool.
| Indicator Assessment Criteria | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | |||
Ratio of unhealthy to healthy food outlets |
Healthy outlets > Unhealthy outlets |
Healthy outlets = Unhealthy outlets |
Healthy outlets < Unhealthy outlets |
Change in ratio of unhealthy to healthy food outlets over time |
Decreasing ratio over time |
Constant ratio over time |
Increasing ratio over time |