Healthy nutrition, physical activity and bone health across the lifespan
What the Australian Dietary Guidelines and physical activity guidelines recommend at each life stage and the physiology behind them, peak bone mass and age-related loss, calcium and vitamin D requirements with a worked intake calculation, what the vitamin D trials (including Australia's D-Health and the annual high-dose trial) showed, MET-minutes, protein needs in older people, and mandatory fortification in Australia.
Tier 2Medical sciences concept
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- The Australian Dietary Guidelines (NHMRC 2013) are still current; NHMRC expects a draft revision for consultation in late 2026 and final guidelines in 2027.
- Physical activity: adults need 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity (or 75 to 150 vigorous) a week plus strength work on 2 days. Children 5 to 17 need 60 minutes a day.
- Bone: build peak bone mass by about 30, then slow the loss. After menopause, loss runs at about 1 to 2% a year for 5 to 10 years.
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Sources
- Australian Dietary GuidelinesAU/NZNational Health and Medical Research Council, 2013 (current; revised guidelines expected 2027, November 2026)
- Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New ZealandAU/NZNHMRC and New Zealand Ministry of Health, 2006, with later updates
- Physical activity and exercise guidelines for all AustraliansAU/NZAustralian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, accessed November 2026
- 2024 RACGP and Healthy Bones Australia guideline for osteoporosis management and fracture prevention in postmenopausal women and men over 50 years of age (summary)AU/NZMed J Aust 2025;222(9), 2024
- Monthly vitamin D supplementation and mortality (D-Health). Neale RE et al. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2022;10:120-8AU/NZThe Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, 2022
- Monthly vitamin D supplementation and fracture risk (D-Health). Waterhouse M et al. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2023;11:324-32AU/NZThe Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, 2023
- Effect of dose and duration of reduction in dietary sodium on blood pressure levels. Huang L et al. BMJ 2020;368:m315BMJ, 2020
- Effect of longer term modest salt reduction on blood pressure: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. He FJ, Li J, MacGregor GA. BMJ 2013;346:f1325BMJ, 2013
- Annual high-dose oral vitamin D and falls and fractures in older women. Sanders KM et al. JAMA 2010;303:1815-22AU/NZJAMA, 2010
- Supplemental vitamin D and incident fractures in midlife and older adults (VITAL). LeBoff MS et al. N Engl J Med 2022;387:299-309New England Journal of Medicine, 2022
- Thiamin fortification of bread-making flour: retention in bread and levels in Australian commercial fortified bread varieties. J Food Compos Anal 2015Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2015
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Turnstile bot check on sign-in and signed-out feedback