Australian Youth Nutrition: A Deep Dive into Supplements, Diet Trends, and Sugary Beverage Declines

The 2023 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) this Friday, provides a detailed snapshot of the nation’s dietary habits. We, of course, took particular note of those relating to children, adolescents, and young adults. From vitamin supplementation to restrictive diets, and from sweetened beverage consumption to evolving food avoidance trends, the data illustrates both progress and emerging challenges in youth nutrition.

While Australians overall are increasingly health-conscious, the survey reveals that young people are navigating a complex nutritional landscape shaped by societal pressures, personal health awareness, and lifestyle trends.

Dietary Supplements: Gender Divergence Clear

27.6% of young women take supplements, but just 15.6% of men.

The survey found that 33.6% of Australians aged over two report taking dietary supplements, with vitamin and mineral products the most common at 29.7%. Among children aged 5–11, 18% take vitamins or minerals, while 13.3% of teenagers 12–17 do so, alongside 21.1% of those aged 18–39.

Gender differences emerge in early adulthood: among 18–29-year-olds, 27.6% of females report taking vitamin or mineral supplements, compared with just 15.6% of males. This suggests that young women may be more proactive about perceived dietary gaps, or more responsive to health messaging around nutrition.

Use among children and adolescents across genders shows much less difference. The gap is 1.6% in the 5-11 bracket, and just 0.6% among 13-17s. Compare that to the 12% disparity found in the 18-29 group. This indicates parental influence may play a stronger role in supplementation before adulthood, while suggesting that independent choice and social influence become more significant as young people age.

These patterns may also reflect broader trends in self-directed health management, social media influence, and wellness culture, all of which tend to disproportionately affect young women.

Diet and Eating Patterns: Restriction, Avoidance, and Gender Gaps

Almost 30% of young people practice energy restriction.

Among Australians aged 15–29, 19.8% report following a specific diet or eating pattern, with women (22.2%) more likely than men (17.4%) to do so. Vegetarianism and veganism remain relatively uncommon at 4.4% overall in this age group, with a pronounced gender difference: 6.2% of women versus 2.7% of men.

Much more striking are patterns of dietary restriction and food avoidance:

• Energy restriction (fasting or calorie reduction) is practiced by nearly 30% of young people, slightly higher among men (32.4%) than women (29.4%).

• Food avoidance, which involves reduced or eliminated consumption of meat, dairy, gluten, or other components, is far more prevalent among women. Among young women who follow a diet, over 52% avoid certain foods, compared with just 27.5% of men, close to half the proportion.

The most commonly avoided foods are:

• Meat (22.4%)

• Gluten/wheat (9.9%)

• Dairy/lactose (8.6%)

This pattern suggests ethical considerations (e.g., vegetarianism), health concerns (e.g., lactose intolerance), and lifestyle trends (e.g., gluten avoidance) play a significant role in shaping dietary choices. It also underscores the increasing complexity of young people’s eating behaviours, with women disproportionately engaging in restrictive and selective diets.

The combination of energy restriction and food avoidance may reflect both health-oriented and socially driven motivations. While the data do not directly measure underlying reasons, prior research indicates that societal pressures around body image and ethical consumption heavily influence these patterns, particularly among young women.

Sweetened Beverages: Long-Term Decline but Persistent Gender Gaps

One of the most encouraging trends in the data is the marked decline in sweetened beverage consumption among young Australians. Among children aged 5–11, consumption dropped from 77.2% in 1995 to 29.8% in 2023. For teenagers 12–17, consumption declined from 74.3% to 45.4%, and for young adults 18–29, from 66.9% to 48.7%. This represents the continuation of a long downward trend in consumption. The data from 2011-2012 provides a sort of midpoint, with proportions of 52.5%, 66%, and 59.1%, respective to each age group.

Yet, the data also highlight persistent gender gaps: young males continue to consume sweetened beverages at higher rates than females, particularly in adolescence and early adulthood:

• 12–17-year-olds: males 48.8%, females 41.8%

• 18–29-year-olds: males 53.6%, females 42.3%

The decline over the past three decades likely reflects effective public health campaigns, school nutrition policies, and rising awareness of sugar-related health risks. It also indicates that targeted messaging and interventions aimed at young men may still be necessary to close the gender gap.

Connecting the Dots

When considering these new statistics as components of a larger whole, several insights emerge:

• Health Consciousness is Rising: Reduced sugary beverage consumption and widespread supplement use point to a growing awareness of health and nutrition among young Australians.

• Gender Shapes Nutritional Behaviour: Women are more likely to follow diets, engage in food avoidance, and use supplements, reflecting both health priorities and societal influences. Men, conversely, are more likely to consume sweetened beverages and focus on energy restriction when dieting.

• Individualisation of Diets: The high prevalence of food avoidance and restrictive diets highlights a trend toward personalised nutrition, influenced by ethical, health, and lifestyle considerations rather than universal dietary recommendations.

• Public Health Successes and Challenges: Long-term declines in sugary beverage consumption show the effectiveness of public health interventions. However, gendered disparities in both consumption and dietary restriction indicate that tailored strategies remain important.

So, how can we explain the clear gender differences in many of these statistics? While the data alone cannot definitively explain why these behaviours occur, several plausible factors emerge:

1. Social and Cultural Pressures

Young women’s higher engagement with dieting, food avoidance, and supplements could plausibly reflect societal pressures around body image and appearance. Media messaging, social media trends, and cultural norms often emphasise thinness or “clean eating,” which can drive selective eating and the pursuit of dietary supplements. Conversely, young mens' social norms often prioritise muscle gain or performance, which could explain their focus on energy restriction and continued consumption of sweetened beverages.

2. Health Awareness and Education

Women may be more attuned to nutritional guidelines, preventive health advice, and health risks associated with poor diet. This could drive both higher supplement use and adoption of restrictive diets. Men’s lower uptake of supplements but higher energy restriction may indicate a preference for behavioural strategies (e.g., portion control, intermittent fasting) over supplementation.

3. Ethical and Lifestyle Motivations

Avoidance of meat, dairy, or gluten among young women may reflect ethical concerns, such as vegetarianism or veganism, which are more prevalent among females in youth and young adulthood. Men’s dietary choices appear less influenced by ethical considerations and more by practical or performance-based factors.

4. Behavioural and Biological Factors

Biological differences, such as energy requirements and metabolic needs, may also shape dietary patterns. Men, with higher average caloric requirements, may find energy restriction strategies more intuitive, whereas women might rely more on selective food avoidance and supplementation to meet nutritional goals while controlling calorie intake.

In combination, these factors suggest that youth dietary behaviours are influenced by an interplay of cultural, social, and biological drivers. Understanding these underlying mechanisms is essential for public health professionals aiming to design effective, targeted nutrition interventions.

Broader Implications

These findings have several implications for policymakers, educators, and health professionals:

• Nutrition Education: Awareness campaigns may need to address both overconsumption (e.g., sugar) and restrictive diets, ensuring young people adopt balanced approaches rather than extremes.

• Gender-Sensitive Interventions: The stark gender differences in food avoidance, supplement use, and sugary beverage consumption suggest interventions should account for differing motivations and behaviours between young men and women.

• Ethical and Lifestyle Considerations: With a notable proportion of young people avoiding meat, dairy, or gluten, public health messaging should recognise ethical and lifestyle motivations while providing guidance on adequate nutrient intake.

• Monitoring Long-Term Health Outcomes: With restrictive diets and supplement reliance on the rise, ongoing surveillance is crucial to understand impacts on bone health, iron status, and general nutritional adequacy in youth.

Looking Forward

The 2023 ABS survey highlights a generation of Australians increasingly conscious of health, nutrition, and lifestyle choices. Young people are not only reducing sugar intake but also experimenting with supplements and selective diets, often in gendered patterns shaped by cultural and social pressures.

Supporting young Australians to make informed, balanced, and sustainable dietary choices will require continued research, targeted public health strategies, and education that recognises both health and ethical motivations. As dietary habits evolve, policymakers and educators must remain attentive to these trends to promote long-term health and wellbeing.