Awareness and monitoring of kilojoules could contribute to reduced rates of obesity, as Queenslanders admit their lack of knowledge in this space.
Manager Health and Wellbeing Planning, Judy Nean said research shows many Queenslanders don't know what a kilojoule is or how many they should consume in a day.
"Only one in ten Queenslanders were able to nominate 8700 as the average recommended daily kilojoule intake for an adult and only one in two correctly identified that kilojoules measure energy," Ms Nean said.
"The biggest problem with a lack of knowledge in this space is overconsumption of kilojoules, where the excess energy is stored as fat and results in weight gain.
"Fast foods are a good example of this, with the overweight and obesity rates in Queensland linked to the increasing consumption of fast foods.
"Just a single meal of fast food can take up your entire day's recommended intake of kilojoules.
"While we need energy from food to keep our bodies working, too much energy is a problem.
"Eating a balanced diet will help you get the nutrients your body needs within the recommended kilojoules."
Queensland legislation introduced in 2016 requires fast food chains with at least 20 outlets in Queensland or 50 outlets nationally to display the average kilojoule content of food and drink on their menus.
"The legislation change enables Queenslanders to make an informed choice on the foods they're consuming, with fast food menus clearly displaying the kilojoule count for their menu items," she said.
"Having a kilojoule count on the menu is a step in the right direction for Queenslanders to make informed decisions when eating fast food.
"In saying that, it is also important for Queenslanders to understand how many kilojoules they should consume each day so the kilojoules count on the menu makes sense to them.
"We have a number of resources available on our Healthier. Happier website to help people understand their personal energy requirements and encourage them to use kilojoule menu labelling to make healthier choices when eating out."
To calculate your recommended daily intake of kilojoules, visit the Healthier.Happier kilojoule calculator.
