What a load of IBS: new research shows tummy troubles could be in the mind
Shane Hodge, a former connoiseur of cheese and chocolate milkshakes, has been living with debilitating IBS symptoms for seven years since being hospitalised for food poisoning.
He agrees with the new research from the University of Melbourne, and said stress, paranoia and anxiety make his IBS worse.
"You're stressed and embarrassed about 'what if you poo your pants'? ... my life was a misery," the 66-year-old said.
"Your head is linked to your tummy and backside, and causing great disruption in the force ...once you've had a few bad episodes of that fear, it really stuffs up your life."
Read more from The Senior:
IBS is a chronic and often debilitating condition, with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and unpredictable bowel movements.
Mr Hodge said he became "like a GPS" in knowing where all the closest public toilets were around town as panic would often consume him.
He's now using a daily probiotic from Qiara which he said "calmed" his gut symptoms and anxiety, though he still needs to keep the cheese to an absolute minimum.
A recent 6-month study from University of Melbourne found only 75 per cent of study participants were able to reduce or manage IBS symptoms through a low FODMAP diet (which restricts trigger foods like onions, garlic, apples, milk and wheat).
But the study also found psychological traits like "gut-specific anxiety, personal control and perceptions of illness" might also play a role in symptoms, said Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski.
She explained in IBS, communication between the gut and the brain can become "oversensitive to normal signals", which can cause symptoms of IBS.
"Stress can make it worse. Understanding this helps guide treatments that can calm these signals and improve symptoms," Professor Biesiekierski said.
The research team is now launching a world-first international clinical trial to see if a type of brain-training - exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - makes a difference.
"CBT helps people with IBS retrain how their brain responds to gut symptoms and feared foods, reducing anxiety and avoidance through gradual exposure," said Professor Biesiekierski.
"Unlike the low FODMAP diet, which works by avoiding trigger foods, CBT can help patients reduce fear and avoidance by gradually reintroducing those same foods."
The trial will be a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Karolinska Institute.
Around 200 participants will take part in 12 weeks of treatment entirely online from their own homes.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects around one in five people, according to the government's Health Direct website, but scientists now believe the mind has a lot to do with it.
Shane Hodge, a former connoiseur of cheese and chocolate milkshakes, has been living with debilitating IBS symptoms for seven years since being hospitalised for food poisoning.
He agrees with the new research from the University of Melbourne, and said stress, paranoia and anxiety make his IBS worse.
"You're stressed and embarrassed about 'what if you poo your pants'? ... my life was a misery," the 66-year-old said.
"Your head is linked to your tummy and backside, and causing great disruption in the force ...once you've had a few bad episodes of that fear, it really stuffs up your life."
Read more from The Senior:
IBS is a chronic and often debilitating condition, with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and unpredictable bowel movements.
Mr Hodge said he became "like a GPS" in knowing where all the closest public toilets were around town as panic would often consume him.
He's now using a daily probiotic from Qiara which he said "calmed" his gut symptoms and anxiety, though he still needs to keep the cheese to an absolute minimum.
A recent 6-month study from University of Melbourne found only 75 per cent of study participants were able to reduce or manage IBS symptoms through a low FODMAP diet (which restricts trigger foods like onions, garlic, apples, milk and wheat).
But the study also found psychological traits like "gut-specific anxiety, personal control and perceptions of illness" might also play a role in symptoms, said Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski.
She explained in IBS, communication between the gut and the brain can become "oversensitive to normal signals", which can cause symptoms of IBS.
"Stress can make it worse. Understanding this helps guide treatments that can calm these signals and improve symptoms," Professor Biesiekierski said.
The research team is now launching a world-first international clinical trial to see if a type of brain-training - exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - makes a difference.
"CBT helps people with IBS retrain how their brain responds to gut symptoms and feared foods, reducing anxiety and avoidance through gradual exposure," said Professor Biesiekierski.
"Unlike the low FODMAP diet, which works by avoiding trigger foods, CBT can help patients reduce fear and avoidance by gradually reintroducing those same foods."
The trial will be a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Karolinska Institute.
Around 200 participants will take part in 12 weeks of treatment entirely online from their own homes.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects around one in five people, according to the government's Health Direct website, but scientists now believe the mind has a lot to do with it.
Shane Hodge, a former connoiseur of cheese and chocolate milkshakes, has been living with debilitating IBS symptoms for seven years since being hospitalised for food poisoning.
He agrees with the new research from the University of Melbourne, and said stress, paranoia and anxiety make his IBS worse.
"You're stressed and embarrassed about 'what if you poo your pants'? ... my life was a misery," the 66-year-old said.
"Your head is linked to your tummy and backside, and causing great disruption in the force ...once you've had a few bad episodes of that fear, it really stuffs up your life."
Read more from The Senior:
IBS is a chronic and often debilitating condition, with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and unpredictable bowel movements.
Mr Hodge said he became "like a GPS" in knowing where all the closest public toilets were around town as panic would often consume him.
He's now using a daily probiotic from Qiara which he said "calmed" his gut symptoms and anxiety, though he still needs to keep the cheese to an absolute minimum.
A recent 6-month study from University of Melbourne found only 75 per cent of study participants were able to reduce or manage IBS symptoms through a low FODMAP diet (which restricts trigger foods like onions, garlic, apples, milk and wheat).
But the study also found psychological traits like "gut-specific anxiety, personal control and perceptions of illness" might also play a role in symptoms, said Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski.
She explained in IBS, communication between the gut and the brain can become "oversensitive to normal signals", which can cause symptoms of IBS.
"Stress can make it worse. Understanding this helps guide treatments that can calm these signals and improve symptoms," Professor Biesiekierski said.
The research team is now launching a world-first international clinical trial to see if a type of brain-training - exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - makes a difference.
"CBT helps people with IBS retrain how their brain responds to gut symptoms and feared foods, reducing anxiety and avoidance through gradual exposure," said Professor Biesiekierski.
"Unlike the low FODMAP diet, which works by avoiding trigger foods, CBT can help patients reduce fear and avoidance by gradually reintroducing those same foods."
The trial will be a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Karolinska Institute.
Around 200 participants will take part in 12 weeks of treatment entirely online from their own homes.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects around one in five people, according to the government's Health Direct website, but scientists now believe the mind has a lot to do with it.
Shane Hodge, a former connoiseur of cheese and chocolate milkshakes, has been living with debilitating IBS symptoms for seven years since being hospitalised for food poisoning.
He agrees with the new research from the University of Melbourne, and said stress, paranoia and anxiety make his IBS worse.
"You're stressed and embarrassed about 'what if you poo your pants'? ... my life was a misery," the 66-year-old said.
"Your head is linked to your tummy and backside, and causing great disruption in the force ...once you've had a few bad episodes of that fear, it really stuffs up your life."
Read more from The Senior:
IBS is a chronic and often debilitating condition, with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and unpredictable bowel movements.
Mr Hodge said he became "like a GPS" in knowing where all the closest public toilets were around town as panic would often consume him.
He's now using a daily probiotic from Qiara which he said "calmed" his gut symptoms and anxiety, though he still needs to keep the cheese to an absolute minimum.
A recent 6-month study from University of Melbourne found only 75 per cent of study participants were able to reduce or manage IBS symptoms through a low FODMAP diet (which restricts trigger foods like onions, garlic, apples, milk and wheat).
But the study also found psychological traits like "gut-specific anxiety, personal control and perceptions of illness" might also play a role in symptoms, said Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski.
She explained in IBS, communication between the gut and the brain can become "oversensitive to normal signals", which can cause symptoms of IBS.
"Stress can make it worse. Understanding this helps guide treatments that can calm these signals and improve symptoms," Professor Biesiekierski said.
The research team is now launching a world-first international clinical trial to see if a type of brain-training - exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - makes a difference.
"CBT helps people with IBS retrain how their brain responds to gut symptoms and feared foods, reducing anxiety and avoidance through gradual exposure," said Professor Biesiekierski.
"Unlike the low FODMAP diet, which works by avoiding trigger foods, CBT can help patients reduce fear and avoidance by gradually reintroducing those same foods."
The trial will be a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Karolinska Institute.
Around 200 participants will take part in 12 weeks of treatment entirely online from their own homes.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
What a load of IBS: new research shows tummy troubles could be in the mind
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects around one in five people, according to the government's Health Direct website, but scientists now believe the mind has a lot to do with it. Shane Hodge, a former connoiseur of cheese and chocolate milkshakes, has been living with debilitating IBS symptoms for seven years since being hospitalised for food poisoning. He agrees with the new research from the University of Melbourne, and said stress, paranoia and anxiety make his IBS worse. "You're stressed and embarrassed about 'what if you poo your pants'? ... my life was a misery," the 66-year-old said. "Your head is linked to your tummy and backside, and causing great disruption in the force ...once you've had a few bad episodes of that fear, it really stuffs up your life." Read more from The Senior: IBS is a chronic and often debilitating condition, with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and unpredictable bowel movements. Mr Hodge said he became "like a GPS" in knowing where all the closest public toilets were around town as panic would often consume him. He's now using a daily probiotic from Qiara which he said "calmed" his gut symptoms and anxiety, though he still needs to keep the cheese to an absolute minimum. A recent 6-month study from University of Melbourne found only 75 per cent of study participants were able to reduce or manage IBS symptoms through a low FODMAP diet (which restricts trigger foods like onions, garlic, apples, milk and wheat). But the study also found psychological traits like "gut-specific anxiety, personal control and perceptions of illness" might also play a role in symptoms, said Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski. She explained in IBS, communication between the gut and the brain can become "oversensitive to normal signals", which can cause symptoms of IBS. "Stress can make it worse. Understanding this helps guide treatments that can calm these signals and improve symptoms," Professor Biesiekierski said. The research team is now launching a world-first international clinical trial to see if a type of brain-training - exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - makes a difference. "CBT helps people with IBS retrain how their brain responds to gut symptoms and feared foods, reducing anxiety and avoidance through gradual exposure," said Professor Biesiekierski. "Unlike the low FODMAP diet, which works by avoiding trigger foods, CBT can help patients reduce fear and avoidance by gradually reintroducing those same foods." The trial will be a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Karolinska Institute. Around 200 participants will take part in 12 weeks of treatment entirely online from their own homes. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects around one in five people, according to the government's Health Direct website, but scientists now believe the mind has a lot to do with it. Shane Hodge, a former connoiseur of cheese and chocolate milkshakes, has been living with debilitating IBS symptoms for seven years since being hospitalised for food poisoning. He agrees with the new research from the University of Melbourne, and said stress, paranoia and anxiety make his IBS worse. "You're stressed and embarrassed about 'what if you poo your pants'? ... my life was a misery," the 66-year-old said. "Your head is linked to your tummy and backside, and causing great disruption in the force ...once you've had a few bad episodes of that fear, it really stuffs up your life." Read more from The Senior: IBS is a chronic and often debilitating condition, with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and unpredictable bowel movements. Mr Hodge said he became "like a GPS" in knowing where all the closest public toilets were around town as panic would often consume him. He's now using a daily probiotic from Qiara which he said "calmed" his gut symptoms and anxiety, though he still needs to keep the cheese to an absolute minimum. A recent 6-month study from University of Melbourne found only 75 per cent of study participants were able to reduce or manage IBS symptoms through a low FODMAP diet (which restricts trigger foods like onions, garlic, apples, milk and wheat). But the study also found psychological traits like "gut-specific anxiety, personal control and perceptions of illness" might also play a role in symptoms, said Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski. She explained in IBS, communication between the gut and the brain can become "oversensitive to normal signals", which can cause symptoms of IBS. "Stress can make it worse. Understanding this helps guide treatments that can calm these signals and improve symptoms," Professor Biesiekierski said. The research team is now launching a world-first international clinical trial to see if a type of brain-training - exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - makes a difference. "CBT helps people with IBS retrain how their brain responds to gut symptoms and feared foods, reducing anxiety and avoidance through gradual exposure," said Professor Biesiekierski. "Unlike the low FODMAP diet, which works by avoiding trigger foods, CBT can help patients reduce fear and avoidance by gradually reintroducing those same foods." The trial will be a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Karolinska Institute. Around 200 participants will take part in 12 weeks of treatment entirely online from their own homes. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects around one in five people, according to the government's Health Direct website, but scientists now believe the mind has a lot to do with it. Shane Hodge, a former connoiseur of cheese and chocolate milkshakes, has been living with debilitating IBS symptoms for seven years since being hospitalised for food poisoning. He agrees with the new research from the University of Melbourne, and said stress, paranoia and anxiety make his IBS worse. "You're stressed and embarrassed about 'what if you poo your pants'? ... my life was a misery," the 66-year-old said. "Your head is linked to your tummy and backside, and causing great disruption in the force ...once you've had a few bad episodes of that fear, it really stuffs up your life." Read more from The Senior: IBS is a chronic and often debilitating condition, with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and unpredictable bowel movements. Mr Hodge said he became "like a GPS" in knowing where all the closest public toilets were around town as panic would often consume him. He's now using a daily probiotic from Qiara which he said "calmed" his gut symptoms and anxiety, though he still needs to keep the cheese to an absolute minimum. A recent 6-month study from University of Melbourne found only 75 per cent of study participants were able to reduce or manage IBS symptoms through a low FODMAP diet (which restricts trigger foods like onions, garlic, apples, milk and wheat). But the study also found psychological traits like "gut-specific anxiety, personal control and perceptions of illness" might also play a role in symptoms, said Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski. She explained in IBS, communication between the gut and the brain can become "oversensitive to normal signals", which can cause symptoms of IBS. "Stress can make it worse. Understanding this helps guide treatments that can calm these signals and improve symptoms," Professor Biesiekierski said. The research team is now launching a world-first international clinical trial to see if a type of brain-training - exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - makes a difference. "CBT helps people with IBS retrain how their brain responds to gut symptoms and feared foods, reducing anxiety and avoidance through gradual exposure," said Professor Biesiekierski. "Unlike the low FODMAP diet, which works by avoiding trigger foods, CBT can help patients reduce fear and avoidance by gradually reintroducing those same foods." The trial will be a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Karolinska Institute. Around 200 participants will take part in 12 weeks of treatment entirely online from their own homes. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects around one in five people, according to the government's Health Direct website, but scientists now believe the mind has a lot to do with it. Shane Hodge, a former connoiseur of cheese and chocolate milkshakes, has been living with debilitating IBS symptoms for seven years since being hospitalised for food poisoning. He agrees with the new research from the University of Melbourne, and said stress, paranoia and anxiety make his IBS worse. "You're stressed and embarrassed about 'what if you poo your pants'? ... my life was a misery," the 66-year-old said. "Your head is linked to your tummy and backside, and causing great disruption in the force ...once you've had a few bad episodes of that fear, it really stuffs up your life." Read more from The Senior: IBS is a chronic and often debilitating condition, with symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and unpredictable bowel movements. Mr Hodge said he became "like a GPS" in knowing where all the closest public toilets were around town as panic would often consume him. He's now using a daily probiotic from Qiara which he said "calmed" his gut symptoms and anxiety, though he still needs to keep the cheese to an absolute minimum. A recent 6-month study from University of Melbourne found only 75 per cent of study participants were able to reduce or manage IBS symptoms through a low FODMAP diet (which restricts trigger foods like onions, garlic, apples, milk and wheat). But the study also found psychological traits like "gut-specific anxiety, personal control and perceptions of illness" might also play a role in symptoms, said Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski. She explained in IBS, communication between the gut and the brain can become "oversensitive to normal signals", which can cause symptoms of IBS. "Stress can make it worse. Understanding this helps guide treatments that can calm these signals and improve symptoms," Professor Biesiekierski said. The research team is now launching a world-first international clinical trial to see if a type of brain-training - exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - makes a difference. "CBT helps people with IBS retrain how their brain responds to gut symptoms and feared foods, reducing anxiety and avoidance through gradual exposure," said Professor Biesiekierski. "Unlike the low FODMAP diet, which works by avoiding trigger foods, CBT can help patients reduce fear and avoidance by gradually reintroducing those same foods." The trial will be a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Karolinska Institute. Around 200 participants will take part in 12 weeks of treatment entirely online from their own homes. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Inside aged care: what our elderly Australians are eating may shock you
Bread with sausage is one of the meals served to Australians in aged care as they survive on a $15.49 daily food allowance. Nutritionist and University of Melbourne research fellow, Dr Sandra Iuliano, told ACM that food quality varied greatly in aged care homes around Australia. Residents might get crumbed lamb cutlets, with a side of potato bake, carrots, peas, zucchini, corn, and mushroom gravy. But some do not. "Some of the food I would pay to eat at a restaurant," Dr Iuliano said. But party pies were not that unusual either, she said. "It appears things may not necessarily be better since the Royal Commission." The Royal Commission into Aged Care final report in 2021 made for stark reading. It found "staggering" rates of malnutrition in Australian aged care homes. Food and nutrition were singled out as one of four areas in "urgent need of improvement." Search below for an aged care home: It was estimated that some aged care providers were spending as little as $6 a day on meals for each aged care resident. Poor nutrition was related to falls, fractures, pressure injuries and unnecessary hospitalisation, the report found. In response, the federal government introduced the Basic Daily Fee supplement in 2022, which incorporated a payment to providers of $10 per resident per day to improve the quality of food as well as the general daily needs of residents. The October-December 2024 Quarterly Financial Snapshot of the Aged Care Sector found the median total expenditure on food and ingredients for the sector to be $15.49 per resident per day. Dr Iuliano said an increase in that monetary amount did not necessarily indicate the situation had improved dramatically. "They are spending more, but the cost of food has gone up a lot as well," said Dr Iuliano. "And if they are spending more, we still don't know what they are buying." A federal Health Department spokesperson told ACM that older Australians had worked their whole lives, "so they deserve tasty, nutritious food that improves their quality of life in aged care. "With the culinary talent of the Maggie Beer Foundation food program, older people are getting quality nutrition and tasty food no matter the aged care facility." "There has been an increase in the daily per-resident spend on food, and a decrease in the prevalence of significant unexpected weight loss in residential aged care," the spokesperson said. The Albanese Government had also introduced a new Food Standard "as part of our once-in-a-generation aged care reforms to ensure the quality of food, safety and nutrition will continue to increase". The median total expenditure on food and ingredients for the sector at $15.49 per resident per day, was an overall increase of $0.92 on quarter 2, 2023-24. This also represents an increase of $0.57 from the previous quarter (Q1 2024-25), up from $14.92. Residential aged care providers spending less than $10 per resident per day on food and ingredients are referred to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, according to the federal government. Dr Iuliano said there were still indications that nutritional needs were not always being met in aged care homes. "We have done some research in that interim period," Dr Iuliano said. "While some improvements are apparent if you look at the high protein foods - from the dairy and meat food groups - some are still not providing recommended intake levels". The federal government's new Aged Care Quality Standards for food and nutrition, as part of the Aged Care Act 2024, will be implemented in November 2025. It's the first time nutrition has been mentioned in the Act. "The first thing is to put food in the spotlight," Dr Iuliano said. "That's a good thing. The previous act had no distinct mention of food or nutrition. It's made it an important part of their care." The aged care sector was under increasing pressure as the nation's population aged, Dr Iuliano said. "The key is we still need to respect the older adults in care," she said. Fancy curried lentil and pumpkin soup and butter chicken curry with naan bread. For dessert, try lemon meringue pie with cream, or homemade sticky date pudding. It could be the menu of a premium restaurant. Instead, it's dinner at Uralba Hostel for Aged Care in Gundagai in the NSW Riverina. Uralba Hostel was nominated in May as one of the top aged care homes for food quality in the Department of Health and Ageing annual Residents' Experience survey of more than 30,000 aged care residents. Uralba manager Katie White said that all the food was prepared fresh, on-site. "This stimulates positive emotions and memories of home-cooked meals, providing comfort to our residents," she said. Not all aged care residents are so lucky. Do you know more? Email the journalist: Bread with sausage is one of the meals served to Australians in aged care as they survive on a $15.49 daily food allowance. Nutritionist and University of Melbourne research fellow, Dr Sandra Iuliano, told ACM that food quality varied greatly in aged care homes around Australia. Residents might get crumbed lamb cutlets, with a side of potato bake, carrots, peas, zucchini, corn, and mushroom gravy. But some do not. "Some of the food I would pay to eat at a restaurant," Dr Iuliano said. But party pies were not that unusual either, she said. "It appears things may not necessarily be better since the Royal Commission." The Royal Commission into Aged Care final report in 2021 made for stark reading. It found "staggering" rates of malnutrition in Australian aged care homes. Food and nutrition were singled out as one of four areas in "urgent need of improvement." Search below for an aged care home: It was estimated that some aged care providers were spending as little as $6 a day on meals for each aged care resident. Poor nutrition was related to falls, fractures, pressure injuries and unnecessary hospitalisation, the report found. In response, the federal government introduced the Basic Daily Fee supplement in 2022, which incorporated a payment to providers of $10 per resident per day to improve the quality of food as well as the general daily needs of residents. The October-December 2024 Quarterly Financial Snapshot of the Aged Care Sector found the median total expenditure on food and ingredients for the sector to be $15.49 per resident per day. Dr Iuliano said an increase in that monetary amount did not necessarily indicate the situation had improved dramatically. "They are spending more, but the cost of food has gone up a lot as well," said Dr Iuliano. "And if they are spending more, we still don't know what they are buying." A federal Health Department spokesperson told ACM that older Australians had worked their whole lives, "so they deserve tasty, nutritious food that improves their quality of life in aged care. "With the culinary talent of the Maggie Beer Foundation food program, older people are getting quality nutrition and tasty food no matter the aged care facility." "There has been an increase in the daily per-resident spend on food, and a decrease in the prevalence of significant unexpected weight loss in residential aged care," the spokesperson said. The Albanese Government had also introduced a new Food Standard "as part of our once-in-a-generation aged care reforms to ensure the quality of food, safety and nutrition will continue to increase". The median total expenditure on food and ingredients for the sector at $15.49 per resident per day, was an overall increase of $0.92 on quarter 2, 2023-24. This also represents an increase of $0.57 from the previous quarter (Q1 2024-25), up from $14.92. Residential aged care providers spending less than $10 per resident per day on food and ingredients are referred to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, according to the federal government. Dr Iuliano said there were still indications that nutritional needs were not always being met in aged care homes. "We have done some research in that interim period," Dr Iuliano said. "While some improvements are apparent if you look at the high protein foods - from the dairy and meat food groups - some are still not providing recommended intake levels". The federal government's new Aged Care Quality Standards for food and nutrition, as part of the Aged Care Act 2024, will be implemented in November 2025. It's the first time nutrition has been mentioned in the Act. "The first thing is to put food in the spotlight," Dr Iuliano said. "That's a good thing. The previous act had no distinct mention of food or nutrition. It's made it an important part of their care." The aged care sector was under increasing pressure as the nation's population aged, Dr Iuliano said. "The key is we still need to respect the older adults in care," she said. Fancy curried lentil and pumpkin soup and butter chicken curry with naan bread. For dessert, try lemon meringue pie with cream, or homemade sticky date pudding. It could be the menu of a premium restaurant. Instead, it's dinner at Uralba Hostel for Aged Care in Gundagai in the NSW Riverina. Uralba Hostel was nominated in May as one of the top aged care homes for food quality in the Department of Health and Ageing annual Residents' Experience survey of more than 30,000 aged care residents. Uralba manager Katie White said that all the food was prepared fresh, on-site. "This stimulates positive emotions and memories of home-cooked meals, providing comfort to our residents," she said. Not all aged care residents are so lucky. Do you know more? Email the journalist: Bread with sausage is one of the meals served to Australians in aged care as they survive on a $15.49 daily food allowance. Nutritionist and University of Melbourne research fellow, Dr Sandra Iuliano, told ACM that food quality varied greatly in aged care homes around Australia. Residents might get crumbed lamb cutlets, with a side of potato bake, carrots, peas, zucchini, corn, and mushroom gravy. But some do not. "Some of the food I would pay to eat at a restaurant," Dr Iuliano said. But party pies were not that unusual either, she said. "It appears things may not necessarily be better since the Royal Commission." The Royal Commission into Aged Care final report in 2021 made for stark reading. It found "staggering" rates of malnutrition in Australian aged care homes. Food and nutrition were singled out as one of four areas in "urgent need of improvement." Search below for an aged care home: It was estimated that some aged care providers were spending as little as $6 a day on meals for each aged care resident. Poor nutrition was related to falls, fractures, pressure injuries and unnecessary hospitalisation, the report found. In response, the federal government introduced the Basic Daily Fee supplement in 2022, which incorporated a payment to providers of $10 per resident per day to improve the quality of food as well as the general daily needs of residents. The October-December 2024 Quarterly Financial Snapshot of the Aged Care Sector found the median total expenditure on food and ingredients for the sector to be $15.49 per resident per day. Dr Iuliano said an increase in that monetary amount did not necessarily indicate the situation had improved dramatically. "They are spending more, but the cost of food has gone up a lot as well," said Dr Iuliano. "And if they are spending more, we still don't know what they are buying." A federal Health Department spokesperson told ACM that older Australians had worked their whole lives, "so they deserve tasty, nutritious food that improves their quality of life in aged care. "With the culinary talent of the Maggie Beer Foundation food program, older people are getting quality nutrition and tasty food no matter the aged care facility." "There has been an increase in the daily per-resident spend on food, and a decrease in the prevalence of significant unexpected weight loss in residential aged care," the spokesperson said. The Albanese Government had also introduced a new Food Standard "as part of our once-in-a-generation aged care reforms to ensure the quality of food, safety and nutrition will continue to increase". The median total expenditure on food and ingredients for the sector at $15.49 per resident per day, was an overall increase of $0.92 on quarter 2, 2023-24. This also represents an increase of $0.57 from the previous quarter (Q1 2024-25), up from $14.92. Residential aged care providers spending less than $10 per resident per day on food and ingredients are referred to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, according to the federal government. Dr Iuliano said there were still indications that nutritional needs were not always being met in aged care homes. "We have done some research in that interim period," Dr Iuliano said. "While some improvements are apparent if you look at the high protein foods - from the dairy and meat food groups - some are still not providing recommended intake levels". The federal government's new Aged Care Quality Standards for food and nutrition, as part of the Aged Care Act 2024, will be implemented in November 2025. It's the first time nutrition has been mentioned in the Act. "The first thing is to put food in the spotlight," Dr Iuliano said. "That's a good thing. The previous act had no distinct mention of food or nutrition. It's made it an important part of their care." The aged care sector was under increasing pressure as the nation's population aged, Dr Iuliano said. "The key is we still need to respect the older adults in care," she said. Fancy curried lentil and pumpkin soup and butter chicken curry with naan bread. For dessert, try lemon meringue pie with cream, or homemade sticky date pudding. It could be the menu of a premium restaurant. Instead, it's dinner at Uralba Hostel for Aged Care in Gundagai in the NSW Riverina. Uralba Hostel was nominated in May as one of the top aged care homes for food quality in the Department of Health and Ageing annual Residents' Experience survey of more than 30,000 aged care residents. Uralba manager Katie White said that all the food was prepared fresh, on-site. "This stimulates positive emotions and memories of home-cooked meals, providing comfort to our residents," she said. Not all aged care residents are so lucky. Do you know more? Email the journalist: Bread with sausage is one of the meals served to Australians in aged care as they survive on a $15.49 daily food allowance. Nutritionist and University of Melbourne research fellow, Dr Sandra Iuliano, told ACM that food quality varied greatly in aged care homes around Australia. Residents might get crumbed lamb cutlets, with a side of potato bake, carrots, peas, zucchini, corn, and mushroom gravy. But some do not. "Some of the food I would pay to eat at a restaurant," Dr Iuliano said. But party pies were not that unusual either, she said. "It appears things may not necessarily be better since the Royal Commission." The Royal Commission into Aged Care final report in 2021 made for stark reading. It found "staggering" rates of malnutrition in Australian aged care homes. Food and nutrition were singled out as one of four areas in "urgent need of improvement." Search below for an aged care home: It was estimated that some aged care providers were spending as little as $6 a day on meals for each aged care resident. Poor nutrition was related to falls, fractures, pressure injuries and unnecessary hospitalisation, the report found. In response, the federal government introduced the Basic Daily Fee supplement in 2022, which incorporated a payment to providers of $10 per resident per day to improve the quality of food as well as the general daily needs of residents. The October-December 2024 Quarterly Financial Snapshot of the Aged Care Sector found the median total expenditure on food and ingredients for the sector to be $15.49 per resident per day. Dr Iuliano said an increase in that monetary amount did not necessarily indicate the situation had improved dramatically. "They are spending more, but the cost of food has gone up a lot as well," said Dr Iuliano. "And if they are spending more, we still don't know what they are buying." A federal Health Department spokesperson told ACM that older Australians had worked their whole lives, "so they deserve tasty, nutritious food that improves their quality of life in aged care. "With the culinary talent of the Maggie Beer Foundation food program, older people are getting quality nutrition and tasty food no matter the aged care facility." "There has been an increase in the daily per-resident spend on food, and a decrease in the prevalence of significant unexpected weight loss in residential aged care," the spokesperson said. The Albanese Government had also introduced a new Food Standard "as part of our once-in-a-generation aged care reforms to ensure the quality of food, safety and nutrition will continue to increase". The median total expenditure on food and ingredients for the sector at $15.49 per resident per day, was an overall increase of $0.92 on quarter 2, 2023-24. This also represents an increase of $0.57 from the previous quarter (Q1 2024-25), up from $14.92. Residential aged care providers spending less than $10 per resident per day on food and ingredients are referred to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, according to the federal government. Dr Iuliano said there were still indications that nutritional needs were not always being met in aged care homes. "We have done some research in that interim period," Dr Iuliano said. "While some improvements are apparent if you look at the high protein foods - from the dairy and meat food groups - some are still not providing recommended intake levels". The federal government's new Aged Care Quality Standards for food and nutrition, as part of the Aged Care Act 2024, will be implemented in November 2025. It's the first time nutrition has been mentioned in the Act. "The first thing is to put food in the spotlight," Dr Iuliano said. "That's a good thing. The previous act had no distinct mention of food or nutrition. It's made it an important part of their care." The aged care sector was under increasing pressure as the nation's population aged, Dr Iuliano said. "The key is we still need to respect the older adults in care," she said. Fancy curried lentil and pumpkin soup and butter chicken curry with naan bread. For dessert, try lemon meringue pie with cream, or homemade sticky date pudding. It could be the menu of a premium restaurant. Instead, it's dinner at Uralba Hostel for Aged Care in Gundagai in the NSW Riverina. Uralba Hostel was nominated in May as one of the top aged care homes for food quality in the Department of Health and Ageing annual Residents' Experience survey of more than 30,000 aged care residents. Uralba manager Katie White said that all the food was prepared fresh, on-site. "This stimulates positive emotions and memories of home-cooked meals, providing comfort to our residents," she said. Not all aged care residents are so lucky. Do you know more? Email the journalist:
The Age
4 days ago
- The Age
Ozempic in a pill? The next generation of weight-loss drugs emerges
'The development of GLP-1 and incretin-based drugs has revolutionised the space. It has carved out the biggest class of drugs ever. And it has the power to truly revolutionise our health-span,' said Associate Professor Garron Dodd, head of the Metabolic Neuroscience Research Laboratory at the University of Melbourne and founder of Gallant Bio, which is developing its own obesity drugs. 'It's a glorious dawn, but it's just the start.' Weight loss in a pill Much as our eyes and ears sense the world and send data to our brains, our digestive tracts need ways of sending back data on what they are eating, and how much. They do this, in part, by secreting various chemical signals – hormones. Glucagon-like peptide-1 is secreted by the intestines and triggers the pancreas to produce insulin. The first GLP-1 drugs took advantage of this to become powerful treatments for diabetes. But GLP-1 has much wider effects beyond blood-sugar control. Receptors for the hormone spread throughout the body, even in the brain, where they trigger a feeling of fullness and decrease appetite. A once-weekly dose of semaglutide, plus lifestyle changes, led volunteers in a phase 3 trial to lose 14.9 per cent of their body weight over 15 months. GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy essentially copy that human hormone. That makes them fragile. They need to be kept refrigerated, and injected subcutaneously rather than taken by mouth – as the stomach's acid would quickly break them down. An oral version of semaglutide has been developed, but only 1 per cent of the drug actually makes its way to the target receptors, and it appears less effective than the injectable version for weight loss. Loading Researchers at Japan's Chugai Pharmaceutical Co figured out a way around this problem. They designed a small molecule that can bind to the same receptor as GLP-1 and trigger it. It mimics the effect without mimicking the structure. 'It's a development I never would have thought feasible,' said Professor Michael Horowitz, a University of Adelaide researcher who authored a commentary on the drug in the Lancet. Chugai licensed the molecule to US-based Eli Lilly in 2018. Last week, the company reported participants on the highest dose in a clinical trial lost 7.9 per cent of their body weight over 40 weeks. The full details of the trial have not yet been reported, and whether the weight loss is maintained over the longer term is unclear. More than a quarter of patients reported diarrhoea, 16 per cent nausea and 14 per cent vomiting. The preliminary results are 'close enough to broadly call it similar' to semaglutide, said Professor Jonathan Shaw, who led the Australian arm of Lilly's trial at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne. 'I don't think we can confidently say it's better or worse. It's definitely in the same ballpark.' It's also not known if the drug will offer the range of other benefits that GLP-1 inhibitors provide in addition to weight loss, like reductions in cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's risk (and maybe even addictive behaviours). Horowitz said the efficacy data was promising, but he wanted to see more information about adverse effects, which he said were understated generally across semaglutide trials because they relied on patients to report their own side effects. 'It hasn't served the interests of pharma to quantify how well this is tolerated.' Pfizer was developing a similar once-daily GLP-1 pill but cancelled the program in April after a patient in a clinical trial suffered liver damage. A pill should, theoretically, be cheaper and easier to make than an injector – Novo Nordisk, maker of Wegovy and its diabetes drug antecedent Ozempic, has struggled to keep up with demand for semaglutide – and dramatically easier to transport. At present, the drug must be kept refrigerated right from European factories to a patient's home. 'That all adds to the cost,' said Shaw. There could also be cost benefits from increased competition as more drugs are approved – possibly pushing the price down far enough for governments to consider subsidising it. Lilly expects to apply for regulatory approval for the drug later this year. While orforglipron has attracted the most excitement – Eli Lilly's shares have surged since they announced the trial results – it is just one of several new drugs in late-stage development. These drugs might be of particular value to 15 per cent or so of people whose bodies do not seem to respond to semaglutide. And people don't seem to stay on the injectable drugs – less than half are still using them a year later, per a study 2024 study – despite the fact weight rebound is likely if you stop using them. 'Is it the injection? Is it the cost? Or is it due to adverse effects? We don't know,' said Horowitz. The new drugs might also offer weight-loss benefits. Mounjaro, for example, mimics both GLP-1 and the gastric inhibitory polypeptide, which increases metabolism and appears to lead to better weight-loss results. The new drugs, like Lilly's retatrutide, target even more receptors, with the hope of even greater effects. It's all good news for Rochelle McDonald. She does not mind taking a weekly injection – 'the stabby-stab' – now she's found ways of coping with the side effects. But paying $240 a month for her current dose of the medicine is 'a commitment in itself'. 'I think a daily pill would be good,' she said. 'If it comes in at a good price point.'
