3.5. Accessibility of Food and Beverages
Participants commented on the access to and widespread availability of food and drinks. Examples included having many items available in the supermarket, access to takeaway services, and the bombardment of food advertising, which made it difficult to resist consumption.“Well, when I go to a lot of cafes, you know, like even in the window, it’s just a carb window; I just look at it and go, “Carb, carb, carb, sugar, carb, carb, carb, sugar”. That’s it, that is the window.” Female, 55 years.Participants also spoke about the availability of foods at supermarkets and how it affected the choices they made and the subsequent consumption of indulgences:
“I’ve got an Aldi on the corner from work and that’s been really helpful because Aldi is very limited in what they keep, but they tend to keep seasonal things … and that’s where I go, and I can buy two salmon pieces at Aldi, which are the right size for us to eat, whereas at Woolworths I’ve got to buy one and a half times what we can eat, and then it goes in the fridge and then I’ll pick at it after tea and the next morning. And I really find it hard to throw anything in the bin.” Female, 60 years. Workplaces were frequently mentioned as a place where indulgences were available and affected consumption:
“We’re lucky enough to get food offered a few times a week and sometimes it’s pastries, sometimes it’s left-over sandwiches or salads and you know, I really know that I’ve already had my lunch; there’s no reason to want it but because it’s there and because somebody else has prepared it and of course it’s free, it’s really hard to resist.” Female, 54 years.