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Healthy Eating Health Action Logo.

Healthy Eating - Healthy Action
Oranga Kai - Oranga Pumau

Newsletter
Issue 1, December 2006


In this issue:



Kia Ora and welcome to the first issue of HEHA News, the regular update from the Ministry of Health’s Healthy Eating – Healthy Action (HEHA) team.

Improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and reducing obesity are three of the thirteen health priorities identified in the NZ Health Strategy, and HEHA is the Ministry of Health’s strategic approach to achieving these priorities. A dedicated HEHA team has been set up to address the seven key HEHA initiatives: leadership and co-ordination, actions in the school setting, breastfeeding, communication, primary care, industry, and monitoring, research and evaluation.

There’s no doubt the past six months or so have been challenging for everyone involved in delivering the HEHA message, not only within the Ministry but also for such players as the DHBs, PHOs, NGOs, Industry and other agencies. We’ve made a great deal of progress in creating a solid foundation for the strategy, and we’re happy to report that more than 45 actions are already underway. These 45 actions complement the extensive work that is continuing in every part of the country where there are programmes designed to pursue the HEHA goals. Together, this has provided a solid platform for us to make further inroads into tacking New Zealand’s overweight and obesity issues. As always, we’d like to draw your attention to the HEHA section of the MoH website, where the status of HEHA projects is updated regularly

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the hard work and passion you’ve shown in helping to deliver the HEHA strategy. This newsletter is intended to be a two-way exchange of information – it’s a chance for us to let you know what we’re doing, but we’d also like you to share your stories with the rest of the sector. The success of HEHA depends on you and we value your input, so please send your story ideas to sharon_stephenson@moh.govt.nz

We wish you a happy and healthy Christmas and a restful break – and look forward to working with you in the New Year.

Na maua, na

Cynthia Maling Dr Don Matheson
HEHA Programme Manager Deputy Director General, Public Health

Meet the team


Earlier this year, a core of dedicated personnel was pulled together to develop and deliver the HEHA message. Various specialists joined the team during the year, and with only one place still to fill, the team is almost complete. The HEHA team comprises the following people:
Cynthia Maling (Programme Manager); Andrea Bland (EA); Geoff Ineson (Business Manager); Jane Kelley (Portfolio Manager); Sue Laurence (Operations Manager, Southern); Megan Grant (Senior Advisor – Nutrition); Mary-Louise Hannah (Senior Advisor – Nutrition/Surveys); Caroline Shaw (Public Health Medicine Specialist); Harriette Carr (Senior Analyst); Sharon Stephenson (Senior Communications Adviser); Maraea Craft (Senior Advisor – Maori and Projects); Clare Dominick (Senior Analyst); Ron Manulevu (Analyst); Rachel Bayliss (Analyst); Eirean Kiely (Analyst), Sally Hughes (Senior Analyst, Industry) and Ben Ruscoe (Project Manager).

How 'Mission on' fits with HEHA


In the interests of clarity, it may be useful to outline how ‘Mission On’ fits within the wider HEHA framework.

HEHA is the government’s umbrella strategy to address obesity, improve nutrition and increase physical activity. The target audience is the general NZ population, although the priority stakeholders include children, low-income people, Maori and Pacific.

Whereas ‘Mission On’ is a healthy eating, healthy action strategy developed by five Ministers and aimed at children from 0-24 years. It is co-ordinated by SPARC and contributes to achieving the HEHA goals. The Ministry of Health is responsible for delivering four of the 10 key ‘Mission On’ initiatives, including improving health and nutrition in schools and early childhood centres, developing new guidelines on advertising food to children, delivering health impact assessments on all new policy and legislation and developing the Government’s 'Walk the Talk' programme.

The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth Development are also involved in delivering the ‘Mission On’ initiatives.

HEHA logo


You may have noticed the smart new HEHA logo in the masthead of this newsletter. Many of you may be familiar with it, having been consulted about its development at the initial design stage.

According to Sharon Stephenson, HEHA Senior Communications Adviser, the HEHA logo was created to encompass the key aims of the Healthy Eating – Healthy Action Strategy: to encourage New Zealanders to eat healthily, live a physically active life, and achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

“Feedback received from the HEHA advisory groups was very positive, with many commenting that the logo’s skipping rope and the red wave clearly represents physical action, while the apple illustrates healthy eating,” says Sharon.

The vibrant green and red HEHA logo will be utilised by the Ministry and key stakeholders such as the DHB HEHA Project Managers, other government agencies and non-government organisations responsible for developing and delivering HEHA programmes.

Guidelines for the use of the logo have been developed and will be distributed to users shortly. These will cover where the logo can be used, for example presentations, websites, publications and exhibition collateral, and how it can be used in conjunction with other project logos. If you would like a copy of the guidelines, please contact sharon_stephenson@moh.govt.nz

HEHA’S social marketing campaign


The Ministry of Health has commissioned the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) to deliver a social marketing programme to support its HEHA strategy. The programme will work to promote improved nutrition practices and the maintenance of healthy weight.

Anna Passera of the HSC says the programme is set to launch in autumn next year with a high-profile media campaign which includes television and radio advertising.

“We have already completed an initial review of the international evidence regarding nutrition-related social marketing. The findings are being used to support the campaign direction and to help establish those specific behaviours that the programme will seek to change.”

The formative research also includes the views of key figures in the nutrition, education and food industry sectors, including those with experience in working with Maori and Pacific communities.

A Public Health Reference Group for Improving Nutrition has also been formed to support the development of the programme, says Anna.

“This group brings together people with a range of skills and expertise from across the public health nutrition sector, including the areas of obesity, food security/nutrition-related inequalities, those working with Maori, Pacific and Asian communities, and experts in social marketing.”

The Group is chaired by Jim Mann, Professor in Human Nutrition and Medicine at Otago University. For updates on the programme visit www.hsc.org.nz

The nutrition fund


Providing a healthy food and nutrition focus for schools and early childhood centres is the impetus behind the newly-created Nutrition Fund.

Sue Laurence, MoH’s Operations Manager Southern, says the goal of the fund is to “enable and support clusters of schools and early childhood centres to become healthy eating environments that provide consistent, positive messages about healthy eating to the school or early childhood communities”.

Activities consistent with this goal could include:
  • Support to attend training for canteen managers, food preparation staff, parents, boards of trustees or teachers;
  • Support to implement specific aspects of the Ministry of Education’s Food and Nutrition Guidelines;
  • Support for student councils to take action to improve the school’s nutritional environment; and
  • Support for school communities to take action to improve the school’s nutritional environment.

The Nutrition Fund can be accessed by schools and early childhood centres, and will be administered by District Health Boards in partnership with School Support Services and Regional Sports Trusts who operate under a tripartite memorandum of understanding entitled ‘Partnership for Action’.

“Any cluster of schools or early childhood centres can apply to the Fund,” says Sue Laurence. “The initial focus of the Fund will be training and professional development around the MoE Food and Nutrition Guidelines and the MoH Food and Beverage Classification System.”

The Fund will be available once the MoE Food and Nutrition Guidelines are implemented early in the 2007 school year. District Health Boards will be distributing information packs to schools which will include information on how schools and early childhood centres can apply.

Mission on


Promoting healthy eating and encouraging Kiwi kids to become more active is the focus of a four-year $67 million campaign launched by the Government in September.

Entitled ‘Mission On’, the government-wide initiative aims to slash New Zealand’s growing obesity rates and reverse declining levels of physical activity among New Zealanders from birth to 24 years. More than 50 per cent of New Zealanders are now either overweight or obese, and more than 30 per cent of New Zealand children can be classified the same.

Announcing the initiative, Prime Minister Helen Clark said an “obesity epidemic threatens to undo New Zealanders’ quality of life”.

“Unless something changes, the current generation of New Zealanders may very well be the first to die at a younger age than their parents. By improving nutrition and reversing the declining levels of physical activity among young Kiwis, New Zealand will be in a much better place to prevent obesity,” said the Prime Minister.

Co-ordinated by SPARC, there are 10 key initiatives under Mission On, including:
  • Improving nutrition in schools and early childhood centres
  • Student health promotion
  • A new ‘Celebrity Lifestyle’ ambassador campaign
  • New guidelines on advertising food to children
  • Youth focused websites
  • Use of television and radio to encourage change
  • Screen-free time away from TVs and computers
  • Encouraging Government employees to ‘Get Active’
  • Expanding the ‘Green Prescriptions’ programme, and
  • Health impact assessments on all new policy and legislation.

Mission On builds on the existing cross-government programmes within schools, early childhood education centres and communities around New Zealand. These include Push Play, Active Schools, Fruit in Schools, Active Movement (early childhood), Active Communities and a raft of HEHA programmes.

SPARC contact for Mission On: Paula Cody – paula.cody@sparc.org.nz
MoE contact for Mission On: Tony Turnock – tony.turnock@minedu.govt.nz

The food and beverage classification system


The Food and Beverage Classification System is a practical tool to assist schools and early childhood education services in implementing the Ministry of Education’s Food and Nutrition Guidelines.

According to HEHA’s Public Health Medicine Specialist, Caroline Shaw, the Food and Nutrition Guidelines detail the approach that schools and early childhood education services should take to improve food and nutrition.

“The Classification System, therefore, will assist these schools and early childhood education services in implementing the Guidelines by identifying foods and beverages that are:
  • Not for provision (though sale or otherwise) by schools or early childhood education services during the school day and operation of early childhood education services (other than for exceptional events);
  • For restricted provision by schools or early childhood education services during the school day and operation of early childhood education services (eg restricted service size); and
  • Appropriate for every day consumption and to be promoted.”

Successful models such as the Waitemata Beverage Guidelines and overseas examples are being reviewed by the team. Input from three advisory groups will be supplemented by consultation with focus groups from education, health and the food industry. Additional input will be provided by children and young people via the newly-established Healthy Eating-Healthy Action Youth Advisory Group.

“The aim is to begin implementation in early 2007. Schools and early childhood services will be able to access support and a training package, and amendments to the system will be made as required.”

One point Caroline is keen to stress is that the Classification System is not about labelling or a vehicle to inspect children’s lunchboxes.

“What it will be, however, is a useful tool to help schools and early childhood centres to implement the MoE’s Food and Nutrition Guidelines,” she says.

Library corner


The following include the latest publications and articles in the HEHA arena:

Nutrition in promoting the public's health: strategies, principles, and practices
Kaufman, Mildred
Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2007


Food, morals, and meaning: the pleasure and anxiety of eating
Coveney, John
London : Routledge, 2006

Food wars : the global battle for mouths, minds and markets
Lang, Tim
London: Earthscan, c2004

Childhood obesity: contemporary issues
Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis, c2006

Nutritional health: strategies for disease prevention
Totowa, N.J.: Humana Press Inc., c2006

Articles:

Friel S, Walsh O, McCarthy D.
The irony of a rich country: issues of financial access to and availability of healthy food in the Republic of Ireland.
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006 Dec; 60(12):1013-1019.

Vecchiarelli S, Takayanagi S, Neumann C.
Students' perceptions of the impact of nutrition policies on dietary behaviors.
J Sch Health. 2006 Dec; 76(10):525-31.

Wiecha JL, Finkelstein D, Troped PJ, Fragala M, Peterson KE.
School vending machine use and fast-food restaurant use are associated with sugar-sweetened beverage intake in youth.
J Am Diet Assoc. 2006 Oct; 106(10):1624-30.

Resnicow K, Vaughan R.
A chaotic view of behavior change: a quantum leap for health promotion.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2006 Sep 12; 3:25.

Chung SJ, Hoerr S, Levine R, Coleman G.
Processes underlying young women’s decisions to eat fruits and vegetables.
J Hum Nutr Diet. 2006 Aug;19(4):287-98.

Jetter KM, Cassady DL.
The availability and cost of healthier food alternatives.
Am J Prev Med. 2006 Jan; 30(1):38-44.

Contact us


We welcome your feedback on this regular newsletter and, of course, we’d like to hear how HEHA is being implemented in your respective regions. Please send your contributions to heha@moh.govt.nz


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