Healthy Eating - Healthy Action
Oranga Kai - Oranga Pumau

Newsletter
Issue 10, July 2008

In This Issue:

Introduction from Margie Apa Keeping up the good work HEHA research update News from the regions Food industry news Mission-On update A fit approach Update from HEHA Introducing Cathy Robinson Food for thought Info & tips

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Introduction from Margie Apa

Kia ora and welcome to the latest edition of the HEHA Project team’s Action Report.

Obesity is still the most pressing public health issue facing New Zealand, according to A Portrait of Health:Key Results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey, launched last month.

One in 12 children are obese and a quarter of all kiwi adults are obese. Obesity rates are higher for Maori and Pacific communities than the total population so we must remain focused on our efforts to improve health outcomes for these groups.

The Ministry’s investment in the Healthy Eating – Healthy Action Project and related public health initiatives is having some effect on improving obesity rates and nutrition of New Zealanders and I’m heartened by the number of successful HEHA initiatives happening throughout the country but we must retain our focus.

A full article on the results of A Portrait of Health is included in this edition of the HEHA Action Report.

Another exciting milestone amongst the HEHA Project team will be marked at the end of July with the launch of the breastfeeding social marketing campaign. Partners, grandmothers, aunties and close friends will be among those encouraged to support mums to breastfeed.

We know from research that mums are more likely to breastfeed their babies, and keep breastfeeding, if they are given support and encouragement from those around them.

Breastfeeding gives our children the very best start in life, yet some New Zealand babies are not breastfed or only breastfed for a short time. The campaign, which will include television, radio and print ads, will have a focus on Maori and Pacific women, who have particularly low breastfeeding rates.

The first phase provides support to breastfeeding mums at home, while the second phase supports breastfeeding outside the home – for example, at work, in restaurants and cafés, at the shopping mall. Breastfeeding plays an important part in the health and wellbeing of babies, mothers and whanau/families.

Keep up the hard work.

Kind regards,

Margie Apa
Deputy Director-General of the Sector Capability
and Innovation Directorate, Ministry of Health

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Keeping up the Good Work

Obesity rates slowing, but work needs to continue

Findings from the latest National Health Survey show obesity rates are slowing amongst adults and leveling out amongst children, but more work is still needed to continue to make a signifi cant difference, says Associate Minister of Health Damien O’Connor.

The results from A Portrait to Health: Key Results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey show that the government’s Healthy Eating – Healthy Action Project is having some effect on improving obesity rates and nutrition and physical activity levels of New Zealanders. “But we can’t take our foot off the pedal just yet,” says Damien O’Connor.

The results from A Portrait of Health indicate that obesity rates are higher for Maori and Pacific communities than the total population. So we just remain focused on our efforts to improve healthy outcomes for these groups.”

The survey found that Pacific people are two and a half times more likely to be obese than the total population, and had three times the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes as the total population. ”The government is committed to reducing health inequalities amongst Pacific peoples,” said Damien.

The 2006/07 survey collected information from over 17,000 New Zealanders (12,488 adults and 4,921 children). It included over 5,000 Maori, 1,800 Pacific peoples and more than 2,000 Asian people of all ages. The survey also took a new look at child health issues such as fizzy drink and fast food consumption and television watching amongst children.“Results from A Portrait to Health confirm that reducing obesity, improving nutrition and increasing physical activity needs to remain a government priority to improve the overall health of all New Zealanders,” says Damien O’Connor. Key findings from the survey included the following:

BMI and obesity rates		There has been no change in the average (mean) BMI for children aged 5–14 years since 2002. There has been a decrease in average BMI for Maori children. In 2006/07, one in five children aged 2–14 years were overweight (20.9%) and one in twelve were obese (8.3%). Adjusted for age, Pacific boys and girls were at least 2.5 times more likely to be obese than boys and girls in the total population. Maori boys and girls were 1.5 times more likely to obese than boys and girls in the total population. From 2002 to 2006/07, there was no change in the prevalence of obesity for school–aged children, adjusted for age, but there has been an increase in the prevalence of obesity for adults. However the rate appears to be slowing with no statistically significant increase between 2002/03 and 2006/07 for both men and women. In 2006/07 one in three adults were overweight (36.3%) and one in four obese (26.5%) Pacific men and women were 2.5 times more likely to be obese than men and women in the total population. Maori men and women were 1.4 times more likely to be obese then men and women in the total population. The proportion of children and adults who were obese was relatively stable across neighbourhood deprivation quintiles 1 to 4, and then increased sharply for those living in quintile 5 (the most deprived areas).
Breastfeeding and eating practices		Nine out of ten (87.8%) children aged from birth to 14 years have been breastfed at some time. Nine out of ten (87.8%) children aged 2–14 years ate breakfast at home every day in the past 7 days. Two out of three (63.6%) children had fizzy drink in the past 7 days. One in five (19.6%) children had three or more fizzy drinks in the past seven days. Seven out of ten (70.9%) children ate fast food in the past seven days. One in seven (13.6%) ate fast food twice in the past seven days and one in 14 (7.2%) ate fast food three or more times in the past seven days. Two out of every three adults (64.1%) ate the recommended three or more servings of vegetables each day, and two out of three adults (60.0%) ate the recommended two or more servings of fruit.
Physical activity		Just under half of children (47.0%) aged 5–14 years usually use active transport to get to and from school (walking, biking, skating or other forms of physical activity). Common reasons given by parents for what stops their children walking, biking or skating to school included ‘live too far from school, busy traffic/main load, too dangerous for reasons other than traffic, takes too long.’ Half of all adults (50.5%) met the definition of being regularly physically active. Overall one in seven (15.0%) adults were sedentary, reporting less than 30 minutes of physical activity in the previous week. Two out of three (64.1%) children aged 5–14 years usually watched two or more hours of television a day. This equates to 368,700 children.

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Research Finds "Key Role" for New HEHA Network

The establishment of a new national network for HEHA could play a key role in providing leadership, direction and cohesion for the sector, according a research report from Synergia Ltd.

The report draws together findings from research into views and concerns regarding a new HEHA network and online community for the sector.

The research found that whilst there were a number of local and national networks already successfully operating across New Zealand, many HEHA networks were fragmented and lacking cohesion – and there was poor linkage between many networks.

The proposed network is intended to link people and organisations working in the HEHA areas and to support them with information, resources and opportunities for collaboration.

“The vision for the national HEHA network is that it is a ‘network of networks’ building from existing strengths across both the nutrition and physical activity communities, to strengthen and support what is already happening,” said Paul Stephenson.

The research was carried out following the recommendations of the Select Committee Inquiry into Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes for the establishment of a national network to support multi-sector action to improve nutrition and physical activity. Synergia Ltd was commissioned by the Ministry of Health to lead a national consultation process across the many different sectors that support and link with HEHA activities.

Sector consultation

The research process involved communication with members of the physical activity and nutrition community through a national online survey, regional, sectoral and Pacific consultation workshops, and a hui with Maori leaders in HEHA-related activity.

The online survey, which received 610 responses, was targeted at people in HEHA-related areas, including those working in nutrition, physical activity, industry, Maori and Pacific service provision, primary health care, policy, research, district health boards, public health units and areas outside the health sector like local government and transportation.

Complementing the online survey, a series of workshops and hui were held to build a deeper understanding of the value of networks in advancing HEHA-related activity; the responses to the initial HEHA network proposals; and views on the development and application of a HEHA ‘online community.’ In total, eight gatherings were held in different parts of New Zealand.

HEHA network feedback and recommendations

The concept of a HEHA network was generally endorsed, and it was seen to have value in a number of ways including:

• Linking people across the HEHA-related sectors and building a diverse membership
• Fostering Maori and Pacific participation in the HEHA sector
• Building awareness of HEHA activities
• Developing a resource base for knowledge and information transfer, including updates on research, innovation and best practice
• Establishing a directory of services, organisations and HEHA people
• Fostering HEHA dialogue
• Supporting and resourcing local networks
• Building the capacity and capability of the HEHA sector.

When it came to ‘who’ should lead the networks, the response from the communities was that the network’s leadership should be made of people with a strong HEHA commitment, who can hold together a membership with different views, and can establish a clear vision and direction for the network. There was a strong call from the Maori hui for high levels of engagement through the design and development of the network and for Maori self-determination to develop network leadership and governance that reflects Maori needs and the Treaty of Waitangi.

The engagement process identified a number of other concerns. A key concern was to ensure the national network was not established to the detriment of regional, local or interestbased networks, but should support the ongoing functioning of these networks. A further clear direction was that the network needed to support activity among high need communities, particularly Maori, Pacific, South Asian and high deprivation communities.

Research participants were concerned with what they saw as a top-down structure embodied in the initial network proposals and there was greater comfort with a network structure where its leadership was drawn from the network members and sat at the centre of the partnership.

Action Update: HEHA Network Establishment Board under way

A HEHA Network Establishment Board forming in July 2008 will lead the development of the HEHA network in the 2008/2009 year, to set up the framework and infrastructure for sustainable governance and support for the network in the long term. This will operate until the official handover to a permanent governance structure commences in 12 months time.
Until then the board will support the sector to develop the HEHA network community and work closely with the sector in setting up a sustainable network structure and appropriate governance, and delivering network activities.
For more information contact Shannon Carew at the Ministry of Health.

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News From the Regions

Wairarapa Move Me programme goes green!

Move over Shrek – the three Wairarapa ‘Lifestyle Champions’ are ‘going green’. Each champion has taken up a Green Prescription from their medical practice at their nine month health checks to help them achieve their goals. They are have now hit the ¾ milestone on the way through their year long ‘Move Me’ journey towards regaining fitness and a healthier weight.

In July last year, Pacific Island identity Tere Torea, Public Health team leader Nicky Poona and Carterton Mayor Gary McPhee stepped out on their very public journey of lifestyle changes, to inspire others as they strive to achieve their individual goals.

All have made real changes to the way they live, increasing their exercise levels and changing the way they buy, prepare and eat food. Whilst those changes have been hard to keep up, all agree the Green Prescription will help them stay on track with their exercise regimes.

“I’m doing this to encourage others as much as for myself,” says Tere. “There’s been great interest in the Move Me programme, and I like the way it’s inspired some other people to think about a healhier lifestyle".

HEHA bikes get West Coast DHB staff moving

Staff at the West Coast DHB recently got a helping hand to get them more physically active with the purchase of five new HEHA-branded bikes.

Kim Sinclair, HEHA Manager explains. “We thought that this would be an excellent way to ‘walk the talk’ and provide staff with a healthy and low-cost alternative to using a car for commuting to meetings and appointments around the district.”

The new bikes signal the DHB’s move towards becoming a cycle-friendly employer. “Instead of using a work car to attend a meeting down town (about two kilometres from Grey Base Hospital) we are encouraging staff to grab a bike and cycle to town.”

CEO, Kevin Hague is enthusiastic about the new bikes. “Whether it’s beating the obesity epidemic or doing something effective about reducing our greenhouse gas emissions or fossil fuel dependency, one of the simplest answers is often sitting quietly in someone’s garage – the humble bicycle.”

Update: Food Industry News

Winning combination drives up fruit and vegetable supermarket sales

A unique intervention targeting supermarket shoppers in South Auckland as been shown to have positive results in terms of driving increased fruit and vegetable sales.

The intervention was developed with Lets Beat Diabetes and Foodstuffs, in response to research conducted in 2007 by Counties Manukau into attitudes and behaviours around fruit and vegetable consumption.

“The research identified that a large proportion of people in South Auckland just don’t know how many fruit and vegetables they and their families should be eating on a daily basis,“ said Vicki Hamilton, Executive Director of the Food Industry Group. “The lack of knowledge about needing to eat 5 plus a day surprised everyone. It showed us that families in Counties Manukau really don’t have the understanding about the importance of fruit and vegetables in their diet, which means that we need to consider carefully how we are promoting the message to eat more fruit and vegetables to them.”

The research also identified further barriers to eating fruit and vegetables. “There is also a clear lack of knowledge around how to prepare Vegetables, plus there are barriers to purchasing fruit and vegetables because of the perceived cost and concerns about wastage because their Family won’t eat them at home.”

In response to the findings of the research, Lets Beat Diabetes and Foodstuffs, which owns Pak’N Save and New World Supermarket chains, designed a pilot intervention for shoppers within three key Pak’N Save stores. “Our aim was to promote an increase in the sale of fresh fruit and vegetables,” explains Vicki. The intervention featured a combination of approaches to promoting increased spend on fresh fruit and vegetable produce, using point of sale promotions and activities taking place within the stores. It was held over eight weeks from October to the end of November 2007.

Each supermarket was given a large, bright, colourful sign that promoted the message ‘Fresh for less’. This was hung in the fresh produce area, to promote the message that fresh fruit and vegetables were affordable, and to highlight the specials that were being regularly offered.

“We wanted to make the point of sale bright, and effective in promoting specials,” explains Vicki. “We also had staff from Lets Beat Diabetes providing regular cooking demonstrations for shoppers using fresh vegetables.” One of the dishes created combined a mix of vegetables with noodles and stir fried in a wok. “This was a really easy recipe for families, which was quick and low cost and an easy way of getting more vegetables into people’s diets.”

The combined focus on low-cost fruit and vegetables seemed to have motivated shoppers to buy, according to an evaluation of the intervention conducted by the Auckland University School of Population Health. “The evaluation included a study of sales data comparing sales with the same period for previous years and included interviews with stakeholders and customers. It showed that there was an increase in the sale of fruit and vegetables by customers during the intervention, compared with the same period the previous year,” said Vicki.

The evaluation also indicated that the success of the intervention was due to the combined effect of having the promotion of products discounted for purchase, of having good point of sale material in store, and having health providers on site doing the cooking demonstrations.

In terms of next steps, Foodstuffs and Lets Beat Diabetes are looking at their options for enhancing the intervention design and rolling it out to other stores in the future. “We are looking at options for taking the campaign to more stores, and this could include a promotion of canned and frozen fruit and vegetables too.”

For more information about the intervention contact Vicki Hamilton at the Food Industry Group, www.fig.org.nz

Update: Mission-on

Mission-on 2008 stage challenge

Mission-On has this year become the major sponsor of the 2008 Stage Challenge® and J Rock™, as part of its campaign to improve the lifestyles of young New Zealanders.

Mission-On Stage Challenge® and J Rock™ are New Zealand’s largest youth performing arts events and are held every year during May, June and July. The events kicked off in Invercargill in May and wrapped up in Wellington the beginning of this month.

The 100 per cent drug, alcohol and tobacco-free event motivates and inspires students to live an active and healthy lifestyle all while experiencing the energy and excitement of Mission-On Stage Challenge®.

Mission-On Stage Challenge® has provided the perfect opportunity for students to work together as a team and express themselves in a professionally produced event in front of a large audience.

This year there were over 17,000 students from 200 schools competing in 13 different regions around New Zealand.

J Rock™ was launched in 2005 and aims to teach primary school-aged children that exercise and healthy eating are not only important, but fun and exciting as well.

On J Rock™ event days, children take part in a series of sports, games and activities that educate them about ways to exercise regularly.

Look out for the 2008 Stage Challenge® TV Special which will be part of TV3’s Sticky TV from 4.00pm-4.30pm starting Monday 18 August–Friday 22 August 2008.

For more information on regional winners or information on the Mission-On 2008 Stage Challenge® go to: www.stagechallenge.co.nz

A Fit Approach

‘60 Minutes a Day’ message reaches parents and kids

The new physical activity guidelines for 5–18 year olds announced last year is getting through to parents and kids, thanks to a two-pronged communications approach undertaken by SPARC.

“We knew that introducing new guidelines for children and young people that were twice as long as the guidelines for adults had its challenges,” says Deb Hurdle, SPARC’s Manager Push Play.

“The last thing we wanted to do was put a message out there that ‘switched off’ those adults struggling to do 30 minutes a day.”

The new guidelines recommend that children and young people aged 5–18 years need at least 60 minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity throughout the day, whereas adults need to do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity.

To help drive awareness of the new guidelines and to minimise potential confusion, SPARC developed two communication campaigns that targeted adult and child audiences separately.

“The first step was to create a new Push Play Parents advertising campaign,” says Deb. The new campaign spelled out the difference to parents and showed adults and kids coming together to enjoy physical activity. “This was designed to work especially well for Maori and Pacific audiences, who we know from our research want to be good role models for their children and to encourage them to be active by being active themselves.“

The new ad proved a hit with audiences: “People really like the ad, especially because it shows families doing stuff with their kids, so it’s involving the whole whanau in physical activity.” The ad will continue to run until the end of June to transition awareness of the new guidelines.

To reach younger audiences the Mission On TV and Computer free time Upball campaign was chosen as the best platform for getting the message across. We thought it was a great opportunity to make the communication fun and interesting in a way that would encourage kids to take it on board.“

SPARC’s creative agency Young and Rubicam decided to take the campaign to the next level by developing a new game to draw kids away from the screen and promote 60 minutes of activity a day. “They found the perfect vehicle for the game – a ball. It has such universal appeal and enabled us to mix traditional Maori and Pacific game designs with more modern ones really easily,” explains Deb.

Three concepts were tested, but Upball was the most popular. “It’s basically a beach ball, in bright colours. The idea is you keep the ball in the air as long as you can. Kids seem to relate to it really easily.” Upball comes with a booklet describing 10 games, also available in Te Reo Maori.

100,000 balls and booklets were produced, with 60,000 intended for decile one school students, who according to research are likely to spend more time in front of the TV. Additional upballs were allocated to Regional Sports Trusts and a free phone order line was promoted on the ad for children to make their own orders. However, soon after launching, the balls were proving so popular that SPARC had to pull the TV ads!

“We’ve had a phenomenal response,” said Deb. “When we ran the ads we were getting 45,000 calls a day! We had to redistribute the quantities to keep up with demand and even after we pulled the ads we were still getting 3,000 calls a day.”

Another 50,000 balls were ordered to help manage the huge level of interest in the game, and the ad was re-run to remind children of the free phone number.

The good news is that the message appears to be getting out there.

“The new campaigns only started in the fi rst quarter this year and at the end of the quarter the awareness level of the new 60 minutes a day message for New Zealanders 16 plus was 63%. So we are confi dent that the two campaign ads are successfully communicating that message,” says Deb.

For more information contact Deb.hurdle@sparc.org.nz

Update: From HEHA

Review of the HEHA implementation plan underway

A comprehensive process for the review of the HEHA Implementation Plan (2004–2010) is currently under way.

The review intends to build on existing activities to deliver a HEHA programme that can further the goals of improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and reducing obesity. The emphasis on improving Maori health and reducing health inequalities between population groups will remain.

Content of the Plan will change as new initiatives are identifi ed and existing areas are expanded. The process for the review has begun with an analysis of the Plan based on lessons learned from the implementation to date. A comprehensive review of international scientific and grey literature on successful obesity prevention initiatives is well under way.

A Wider Reference Group, a Maori Caucus, and a Pacific caucus have been established to inform the review process and have met for the first time. The review will also have involvement from the food industry, DHBs and the HEHA Project team’s Youth Advisory Group, Rise E Tu. A Research Stakeholders Group is also being developed.

Sector Steering Group and Cross-ministerial Committee established

A sector steering group has been established to provide expert advice on the implementation of HEHA.

This includes members from government agencies, district health boards, non-government organisations, Maori and Pacific communities, food industry and experts from the nutrition, physical activity and public health sectors.

The sector steering group’s role is also to provide strategic advice to the cross-ministerial committee, chaired by Associate Minister of Health Damien O’Connor.

The cross-ministerial committee met for the first time earlier this month and is charged with steering the implementation of HEHA.

HEHA Monitoring, Research and Evaluation Conference 3-4 November 2008

‘What’s happening in our backyard?’

The HEHA Project team is holding a conference in Wellington in November to improve understanding of what works to improve nutrition, increase physical activity and reduce obesity within New Zealand. The conference will give you a chance to hear from researchers and evaluators, sharing their research, profi le Ministry-funded research and evaluation. You will also have the chance to network with others in the HEHA sector.

The Ministry is calling for abstracts until the 15th of August.

For more information email Harriette_Carr@moh.govt.nz

Introducing...

Cathy Robinson

HEHA Project Manager, Canterbury DHB

When you are working in the largest geographical region in New Zealand, being the HEHA manager takes on a whole new challenge. “My role is to co-ordinate the development and implementation of HEHA across the Canterbury district, and to identify the gaps and find ways to address them,” says Cathy Robinson. “And when you are dealing with a region that spans from Kaikoura to Ashburton it means a big part of your role is just keeping up with what’s going on.”

Cathy has been the HEHA Project Manager for Canterbury since January 2007, following a career that has seen her passion for physical activity take her from the UK to the USA, Brunei and eventually to New Zealand.

“My career has been driven by a love of physical activity. It started when I completed a Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology from Louisiana State University, then, after working in the UK on an exercise programme for GPs, I went to work in a private hospital in Brunei, which involved clinical exercise testing as well as personal training for the Sultan of Brunei’s children!”

Cathy came to New Zealand five years ago, first to Auckland where she worked as a National Cardiac Rehabilitation Coordinator for the National Heart Foundation, then on to Christchurch, where she was the Physical Activity Manager for Canterbury West Coast Sports Trust and from there to her current role.

One of the highlights for Cathy in this role has been the recent work with the Canterbury breastfeeding community. “We’ve seen great results through working together,” says Cathy. “With major outcomes for the community through securing funding to set up a new Breastfeeding Advocacy Service, as well as the development of Lactation Consultants and Mother to Mother services (see right).“

Cathy sees these latest developments as linking with and strengthening what was already happening in the community. “The breastfeeding community was already doing some great work to promote this issue, however the focus on working together community-wide has just complemented what was happening before and helped improve what’s available.”

Another highlight for Cathy has been the rewards of working with her fellow HEHA team members, Theresa Thompson, Service Development Manager, and Alison Beck, Communications Advisor. “It’s a real strength for us to have such a strong team,” says Cathy. “One of our biggest challenges is just prioritising our workload!”

As well as having a passion for working in physical activity, Cathy also likes to keep fit by running regularly and climbing. ”More for fun than competition though,” says Cathy. She’s also just been off to Malaysia for a beach holiday where she was able to stop and reflect on the success of the Canterbury HEHA team this year.

What's Happening in Cathy’s Region : Launch of new breastfeeding services for Canterbury The recent introduction of new breastfeeding services in Canterbury means good news for families and communities seeking to promote breastfeeding activity. The Breastfeeding Advocacy Service was launched in June, offering new assistance to families and mums in the region. The service will advocate for supportive environments for breastfeeding, working with rganisations, companies and communities to provide environments where mothers can breastfeed, and to raise awareness of benefits and remove barriers to breastfeeding. The new service was created following a community hui with the Canterbury Breastfeeding Network, which identified priorities and issues relating to the promotion of breastfeeding. A regional advocacy service was identified as a community priority, and after a collaborative approach to establish the service, funding was secured from the Ministry of Health’s Health and Disability Canterbury office. The service is a ‘first’ in terms of a regional approach to a fully funded breastfeeding service solely focusing on advocacy, explains Cathy Robinson, HEHA Development Manager. “There is currently a national advocacy body around women’s health issues but this is the first one specifically about breastfeeding – so there is a lot of interest and people watching to see what happens.” Additional services identified from the community hui are also being created for the region. These include a Lactation Consultant service, working in hospitals and other community locations, and a peer support service – Mother to Mother – which connects mothers of a similar age to provide support for breastfeeding. The services will be delivered by Te Puawaitangi Ki Otautahi Trust and will be available to all mothers in the region, with a priority focus on Maori and Pacific parents. “The breastfeeding community is really excited about the initiative, and it’s great to see support for the work they are doing. It’s really exciting to be a part of such a collaborative effort,” says Cathy. For more information about the Breastfeeding Advocacy Service contact Suzie Clark, Operations Manager at Te Puawaitangi Ki Otautahi, on 03 344 5062.

Food for Thought

Parents support school food rules

New research report from Feeding our Futures

Moves by schools to exclude unhealthy foods from school lunches are helping families adopt healthy eating habits, according to new research by Feeding our Futures.

About 100 families throughout New Zealand were interviewed for the Social Marketing Audience Research report, with Maori and Pacific over-represented in the sample.

Feeding our Futures programme manager Michelle Mako says many of the parents and caregivers reported that school rules about foods children can bring for lunch were an ongoing reminder about the importance of providing healthy food.

“Parents and caregivers valued schools having rules about lunchbox content because it created a home/ school partnership that supported families to eat healthily.

” Parents in the study also reported they had picked up on messages about healthy eating brought home by children from school and pre-school, Ms Mako says.

The research found many New Zealand parents do not have a good understanding of what healthy eating means and lack the knowledge and skills to prepare healthy food. Ms Mako says parents report repeating unhealthy eating behaviours from their own childhoods.

“Parents feel they are being undermined by promotion of unhealthy foods, peer pressure on their children and easy access to less healthy foods.” Parents also want healthy eating messages, easy access to cheap fruit and vegetables, as well as access to healthy food options, Ms Mako says.

To view the full report go to: www.feedingourfutures.org.nz

This article was submitted by Penny St John, Communications Advisor, Feeding our Futures

Info & Tips

Library corner

Does the family environment contribute to food habits or behaviours and physical activity in children?

ANA Scientific Committee Report 2 July 2008

The Agencies for Nutrition Action’s Scientific Committee has just released its latest scientifi c report which shows that parents can help kids with healthy eating and physical activity, despite obesogenic environments.

For a copy of the full report go to: www.ana.org.nz

Assessment of an after-school physical activity programme to prevent obesity among 9-10 year-old children: a cluster randomized trial

International Journal of Obesity 2008, Volume 32

Twenty schools in 20 towns in the province of Cuenca, Spain were selected for a randomised controlled trial where children in an after-school activity programme spent 90 minutes three times a week doing physical activity for 24 weeks. The study has shown a reduction in the number of obese and overweight children participating in the programme.

For more information go to: http:// www.movidavida.org/

HEHA tips

Healthy eating is...
There are plenty of ways to use vegetables in your daily meals. If you’re stuck for an idea or sick of making the same thing – why not check out the www.vegetables.co.nz website. You can select a vegetable and find out tips on how to select it and how to cook it. There’s also a recipe finder and plenty of information about potatoes, to celebrate the International Year of the Potato 2008. The website is run by Horticulture New Zealand.

Healthy action is...
Keeping yourself motivated at this time of year can be a challenge, especially with unpredictable weather. Try going for a walk with a friend or a work colleague in your lunch break. Involve the family in exercise – take a stroll to your local park and throw a frisbee. Even doing ten minutes of activity a few times a day is fine.