Healthy Eating - Healthy Action
Oranga Kai - Oranga Pumau

Newsletter
Issue 6, November 2007

In This Issue:

• Introduction from Margie Apa
• Healthy Winners in Mangere
• Fuelling Kids on Fruit & Veg
• News from the Regions
• Food Industry News
• Papamoa Primary School Tackles Obesity, Road Danger and Climate Change in One Go!
• Rise E Tu
• Move Me
• Mission-On
• Introducing Kim Sinclair
• Info &Tips

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Introduction from Margie Apa

Talofa Lava and warm Pacific greetings to you all.

This is my first HEHA Action Report as the Deputy Director-General of the Sector Capability and Innovation Directorate (SCID) and I’m looking forward to many more.

I joined the Ministry last year to lead the Change management Process and was recently appointed to my new role as Deputy Director-General for the SCID.

The Healthy Eating – Healthy Action Project is a major part of the SCID.There are lots of great initiatives happening at a community level involving District Health Boards,
Primary Health Organisations and Non-Government Organisations. Many of these community initiatives could be beneficial in other regions of New Zealand and part of the SCID’s role is to share these learnings.

The Mangere Healthy Kai programme is a fantastic example of this. Mangere Healthy Kai was the supreme winner at the recent 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards. The programme involved multiple agencies such as the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, providers and retailers to name just a few, working at a community level to improve the lifestyles of the people who live there.

I see it as my role as the DDG of the SCID to find out what worked well and what didn’t for those working on the Mangere Healthy Kai programme and other such initiatives, and share these learnings with the rest of the sector. There’s more on Mangere Healthy Kai in this issue of the HEHA Action Report.

The health target to improve nutrition, increase physical activity and reduce obesity, which many of you will be reporting on in some way, shape or form, is also a really useful way to focus on the whole HEHA Project. Although you’re only reportingon the two indicators of breast-feeding and fruit and vegetable consumption,it does allow us to track a whole lot of the HEHA priority areas and ensure we stay focused. I’d like to thank you for the commitment you’ve made to reporting on these targets so far.

The SCID has been established with the purpose of working with the health sector to support the delivery of priority programmes such as Health Targets and the strategies they are part of. The SCID was also established to support system learning and the sharing of improvements and innovations.

Right now, those in the SCID are looking at how we can organise ourselves to support the work you are doing in the HEHA sector. I look forward to working with you all.

Regards

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

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Healthy Winners in Mangere

Mangere Healthy Kai Takes Out Major Prize at 2007 Health Innovation Awards.

In 2003, Mangere’s food retailers began doing their bit to help fight New Zealand’s growing obesity epidemic and have just been nationally recognised for their efforts.

The Mangere Healthy Kai programme,lead by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, won the Supreme Award at last month’s 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards.

The New Zealand Health Innovation Awards are a long-standing initiative between the Ministry of Health and ACC, celebrating innovative thinking in the health sector.

Mangere Healthy Kai promotes ready-to-eat healthy choices in Auckland’s Mangere town centre to help combat obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease. At the beginning of the programme, 11 eligible food retailers in the Mangere town centre joined and there are now 14 in total.

Jenny Rattray, a community dietitian at Mangere Community Health Trust,says the programme is supported by a number of organisations and includes Auckland District Health Board, Mangere Community Health Trust, National Heart Foundation of New Zealand, Bader Drive Healthcare, Te Kupenga O Hoturoa,Procare Network Manukau, Manukau City Council and Otara Health Incorporated.

Jenny says a working group made up of representatives from each of these organisations has been responsible for the successful implementation of Mangere Healthy Kai.

“Since the win, we’ve been asked what the secret is to the success of Healthy Kai. One of the successes has been the great relationship the working group has had with Mangere retailers and the Mangere Town Centre Management. Given that over 90% of the retailers in Mangere town centre are of Chinese descent, it was really important that we were able to communicate with them effectively.”

“That’s where Kai Hong Tan from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) has proved invaluable.
Kai Hong is a registered nutritionist in the Health Outcome Team, who speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese. With these two skills combined, she’s been able to build a supportive working relationship with Mangere retailers.”

Jenny says the Healthy Kai programme is now operating in Otara, Glen Eden and Glen Innes and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop there.

“Since our win last month, we’ve been inundated with people contacting us asking how they can get hold of the programme to develop it in their own communities. We know there’s a huge need to create some sort of Healthy Kai toolkit or information pack and the working group is currently investigating this.”

There are plenty of success stories that prove the Mangere Healthy Kai programme is having a huge impact on the Mangere community. For example, the local Mangere greengrocer has reported a 35% increase in the sale of fruit and vegetables at his shop since the programme was implemented in 2003.

Mangere Healthy Kai has been successful in changing shoppers’eating habits. More shoppers are purchasing sandwiches and filled rolls and wholegrain bread options are increasingly popular. In contrast, pie sales have not increased.

Jenny says, “The School of Population Health at Auckland University began an evaluation of Mangere Healthy Kai in July this year and we’re hoping it will be completed by
the end of 2007, with results available early next year. We think we’ll get some really great results and we’re looking forward to reviewing the findings.”

Mangere Healthy Kai was one of four HEHA-related programmes selected as finalists in this year’s New Zealand Health Innovation Awards.

ElderCare New Zealand: LIFE: A Personal Wellness Programme for Older People won the Excellence in Treatment category. The project aims to improve older people’s quality of life and improve independence through an exercise programme within rest homes and hospitals around the country.

Kahungunu Health and Community Services Charitable Trust was a finalist for its after-school programme encouraging healthy lifestyles ‘Te Wananga Taitamariki – Promoting Healthy Lifestyles to Decile 1 Tamariki’. Tamaki Healthcare PHO was also a finalist for its Dietitian in Primary Healthcare project.

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Fuelling Kids on Fruit & Veg

New Camp aign Urges Parents To Go Heavy on Fruit and Veg.
Parents are being encouraged to go heavy on fruit and vegetables and light on packaged snacks, in phase two of the Feeding our Futures campaign.

New television and radio commercials currently being aired encourage parents to fuel their kids up with fruit and vegetables and to offer healthy snacks in place of the high sugar, high fat packaged options.

“Everybody knows making sure your kids are eating healthy food can be easier said than done,” says Michelle Mako, from Feeding our Futures. “So we’re giving more tips on practical and easy ways parents can gently nudge their children towards a healthy diet – they won’t even know you’re doing it!”

The three new messages are:

1. Kids do better when they eat fruit and vegetables
2. For healthier meals make at least half your plate vegetables
3. Snacks don’t need to come in packets, homemade healthy snacks can be tasty, low-cost and easy to prepare.

According to the National Children’s Nutrition Survey, many New Zealand children are not eating enough fruit and vegetables every day. These new tips reinforce the message that fruit and vegetables are important for children’s growth and that they need to eat a variety of them every day to get the right mix of goodness into their diets.

The new tip ‘make at least half your meal vegetables’ tested well with parents, who found the message simple, fresh and easy to remember. “We know that nutrition is a complex issue, so we wanted to use tips that parents can easily remember and apply in everyday life. What’s more, we’re giving tips the whole family can benefit from,“ says Michelle.

The campaign also encourages families to consider buying frozen or canned fruit or vegetables as a healthy alternative to fresh. Michelle says,
“people don’t always need to use fresh fruit and vegetables. Canned or frozen can be just as good and can be cheaper.”
Further information about the campaign, including the advertisements, is available at www.feedingourfutures.org.nz

New campaign resources target fruit and veg consumption

New campaign resources are now available from Feeding our Futures, based on the new campaign tips about fruit and vegetables and healthy snacking. This includes a resource featuring a healthy plate model and tips on simple, low-cost ways to load up everyday meals with vegetables. This is available as a poster or to download from the Feeding our Futures website.

Three other new posters are available based on the new TV commercial which provide more information about each tip. New information cards are also available to order which explain the messages: ‘kids do better when they eat fruit and vegetables’, ‘make at least half your meal vegetables’ and ‘snacks don’t need to come in packets’.

Check out the new printed resources at www.feedingourfutures.org.nz

This article was written by Anna Passera, Marketing and Communications Officer at the Health Sponsorship Council.

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News from the Regions

You may have heard or seen in the news recently that Northland District Health Board is practising what it preaches and getting on bikes.

Three bicycles will be joining the Northland DHB’s vehicle fleet for staff. Community health officer Brian Harris says the bikes will be available for staff to use for short trips. They will also be free for staff to take home in the weekends.
“We’re practising what we preach – so far staff are dead keen,” he says.

The Northland DHB promotes cycling as an activity that is good for the heart and prevents diseases like diabetes. Mr Harris says cycling also creates advantages for the
environment, and means there is no need for parking.

Meanwhile, a year after introducing its healthy food policy, the Canterbury District Health Board is dispensing almost two tonnes less of sugar from its sites – and that’s just by phasing out sugary drinks from vending machines.

Since the policy was introduced last year, the Canterbury DHB’s Community and Public Health Team has worked with the owners of vending machines across all of its sites to ensure healthy food choices make up 70% of what is available. Drink vending machines now also contain mostly bottled water, strategically positioned at eye level.

Recent research shows that since it began phasing out sugary drinks alone,an estimated 1.86 tonnes of sugar – equivalent to the weight of one and a half elephants – has been removed from across Canterbury DHB sites.

Vending machines now contain a much greater variety of healthy snacks such as crackers and cheese, soup, muesli bars, pretzels and nuts and raisins and water. The food being sold in Canterbury DHB cafés is also 70% healthy, which includes all hot drinks being made with low fat milk.

As a major health provider, the policy ensures the Canterbury DHB is leading by example by providing healthy food choices for its 8,400 employees, and patients.

Dr Greg Hamilton, Manager of Health & Disability Intelligence at Community and Public Health, says, “It’s important that we provide an environment where healthy food choices are made easy.This is particularly important given the rising rates of obesity and the fact that poor diet is the leading cause of death in New Zealand.”

The Healthy Food Policy sits under the Canterbury DHB’s broader Healthy Eating Active Living programme which aims to improve the health and well-being of Canterbury people by encouraging them to maintain a healthy weight, take part in physical activity and eat healthily

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Food Industry News

Minister of Health Talks to Food Industry Representatives

Over the last six weeks the Minister of Health, Hon Pete Hodgson, has had two successful breakfast meetings with senior executives from a wide range of food manufacturing companies, and also supermarkets and retail outlets, to discuss the obesity issue.

The objectives of the meeting were twofold:

• For the food industry to hear the Minister’s views around the food industry’s role in the obesity issue.
• For the Minister to understand the initiatives the food industry was undertaking to improve the types of food being offered and the reformulation of food products to make them healthier, along with some of the complexities involved in doing so.

Those who attended the first meeting included representatives from food companies such as Nestlé, Hubbards,Heinz Watties, Tegel, Griffins and Unilever. At the second meeting attendees included McDonalds, Restaurant Brands, Progressive Enterprises, Foodstuffs and BP.

Food companies gave examples of the large amounts of sugar, fat and salt that had been taken out of a wide range of products, but did point out that when companies make changes to food they have to try and do it with consumer taste in mind – they can’t leave the consumer behind or be too far ahead of them otherwise the healthier food isn’t eaten. One company, for example, was able to take quite a bit of salt out of a product over a few weeks without consumers noticing, but for another company, the salt in a product needed to be decreased gradually over a four-year period.

The Minister was told that most companies now have a nutrition enhancement programme in place and followed nutrition guidelines in the development of many food products.

Progressive Enterprises representatives told the Minister that they’re trying to meet their consumers’ needs and price perception but offering healthy foods that consumers can afford can be a challenge.

A BP representative from the Wild Bean Café chain said that the mere fact that cafés are in service stations is a Quantum leap from 20 years ago. It was noted that the Wild Bean Cafés aimed to offer balance and moderation and they take the obesity issue seriously. However, people were different – some liked pies,some sandwiches, some sushi.

McDonalds noted they are spending a million dollars a year for newly improved oil and have moved into new products like pasta zoo for children. Restaurant Brands no longer promote upsizing meals, allowing the consumer to choose their own portion size.

The Minister pointed out that when it came to the number of people who were becoming overweight or obese, the graphs were still going the wrong way. He believed it was excellent that companies were offering solutions and believed that in certain areas – such as the Trans Fat issue – industry is ahead of the Government.

Pete Hodgson told those at the meeting that it was great they’ve begun to reformulate their products and thanked them for their hard work to date. Although he did ask ‘what’s next?’ He believes the response to addressing this country’s most pressing public health challenge is not just a whole-of-government one, but a whole-of-society approach. One area everyone confirmed, which was positive for the future, is that more and more people are looking out for healthier food products and were aware of the importance of trying to eat a more balanced diet.

This article was written by Vicki Hamilton, Executive Director, Food Industry Group

Papamoa Primary School Tackles Obesity, Road Danger and Climate Change in One Go !

We all know that New Zealanders are getting heavier and that obesity is the most pressing public health challenge this country is currently facing.
But one Tauranga primary school is bucking the trend with an innovative programme that not only increases students’ fitness, but also helps to save the planet and teaches young minds about road safety and other cultures.

Started in December 2006, Papamoa School’s ‘i Save the World’ programme aims to get students to school safely by walking, biking or bussing, rather than by car.

Recently the programme was Highly Commended in the New Zealand Community Safety and Injury Prevention Awards 2007. This followed a win earlier this year in the education category of the New Zealand Road Safety Innovation and Achievement Awards.

The New Zealand Community Safety and Injury Prevention Awards 2007 are supported by ACC, Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand and the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy Secretariat. They recognise, reward and promote best-practice communitybased injury prevention and safety promotion in New Zealand. The winners
of the four categories receive $2,000 towards professional development and/or the development of their safety initiative.

According to Programme Director and Papamoa School parent, Todd Rowden, ‘i Save the World’ was prompted by vehicle congestion at the school gate and the potential for children to be injured on the road. “So parents decided to take ownership of the situation, forming the Papamoa Safety Group. Our mission was to promote safety knowledge to the kids and the parents in a way that was healthy, sustainable, fun, and also had a learning element,” says Mr Rowden. “We built partnerships with government and other community groups for support and expertise, including ACC, Land Transport New Zealand, the Tauranga City Council, NZ Police, Safe Kids and Environment Bay of Plenty. They were all receptive to the idea that not only were we managing to reduce car trips and save the environment, we were also getting students exercising and having fun in a safe way.”

Under the programme, students travel to and from school using ‘World Saving Actions’ – by biking or bussing or by meeting at two drop off zones and then walking. Older students serve as ‘World Marshals’, looking after the safety of younger students. To make it fun, each week students ‘travel’ to a new country, plotting their progress with passports, interactive maps, flags, stickers and badges, many of which bear relevant road and domestic safety tips. Passports are stamped after each trip and the
students receive a badge from that week’s featured country when they have collected enough stamps. The results have been “staggering”, says Mr Rowden.
“We’ve now got around 400 of our 542 student population participating in the programme, along with 85 parent volunteers. And so far, the number of children travelling to school by car has decreased by 37%, while the number taking the bus has gone up by 55%, cycling has increased by 45% and the number walking to school has jumped by nearly 200%. “We’ve just survived our first winter and although we knew the numbers would drop off a bit, we’ve been surprised that the kids have been just as enthusiastic about the programme as they were at the start.”

Perhaps the biggest reward, however, has been getting kids exercising and out of cars. “They’ve realised that there is another way to get to and from school,
and one that’s not only healthy and safe for them but is also lots of fun.”

This article was written by Lee-anne Duncan at ACC.

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Rise E Tu

Rise E Tu Continues to Provide Valuable Insight into the HEHA Project

The Healthy Eating – Healthy Action Project team’s Youth Advisory Group Rise E Tu is continuing to provide the Ministry of Health with valuable youth input when it comes to improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and reducing obesity amongst New Zealanders.

The group of 14 young people aged between 12 and 20 met for the first time in December last year and has since met a further three times.

At their recent weekend workshop in Wellington, Rise E Tu members brainstormed ideas which could be included as part of the Mission-On campaign, in particular Initiative 2 – Student Health Promotion.

The group had a number of fantastic ideas after a successful brainstorming session, but came up with two ideas in particular for the HEHA team to pursue.
The HEHA team is now looking at how these ideas could be included in future Mission-On planning.

Rise E Tu was developed on behalf of the Ministry by the New Zealand Association for Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD).

Rise E Tu will meet again in March 2008.

Introducing Quinn Wilson

Fourteen-year-old Quinn Wilson had an interest in nutrition for the past couple of years, since his project for a school science fair saw him investigating the effects of eating
nothing but McDonalds for one whole week. Quinn put on 1.5 kilograms, his cholesterol levels rose and he basically “felt like crap”, as Quinn describes.

Since starting high school and going on to become a member of Rise E Tu, Quinn is now playing an active role in ensuring his school canteen is selling healthy options.
“When I started high school our school canteen was selling all the usual junk foods – lollies, fizzy drinks and pies. The dairy down the road was also selling pies, but cheaper, at $1 each.”
“Our principal came up with an idea to stop students leaving the school grounds to buy pies. If shopkeepers saw you out of school grounds trying to purchase things from the shops, they’d call the police and would refuse to serve you,” says Quinn.

Now Quinn is forming a group of students to see more healthy options become available at the school canteen and to put out ideas to students which will help them in the long run.

Quinn admits he never thought Rise E Tu would end up being as big as it is. “When we were asked for our opinions on things like the Food and Beverage Classification System, they were listened to. We were the group that came up with the words ‘everyday’, ‘sometimes’ and ‘occasionally’ to describe how often foods should be
consumed.”

“Now is the time young people can really make a difference in their lives. The older you get, the harder it is to change your lifestyle. Get out there, change your lifestyle and get active.”

Introducing Madie Diver

Madie’s high school will open up a brand new canteen in 2008, along witha brand new healthy menu, thanks in part to Madie’s commitment to healthy lifestyles and healthy choices.

The 17-year-old from Napier has met with her school principal and will be working on what the new school canteen menu should look like. Madie’s looking forward to using recipes and ideas from the Food and Beverage Classification System resources she played a part in developing.

“Once students get to Year 11, it’s not compulsory to learn about healthy food and healthy lifestyles. I think all students should have to continue to learn about the importance of healthy eating and healthy action, even if it was only for one hour a week.”

Madie says being a competitive swimmer for the past 12 years has really taught her the value of eating the right foods to fuel your body. “I get up at 5:30am up to six days a week for swim training and I also do surf lifesaving and play netball. I know I need to eat well to compete well.”

Madie is supportive of what the Government has achieved already in terms of improving New Zealanders’ nutrition, increasing physical activity and reducing obesity.

“HEHA and Mission-On are really beneficial. It’s not just about changing the attitudes of youth but educating parents as well, and HEHA and Mission-On cover both.”

“The Mission-On Lifestyle Ambassadors initiative is really cool but it would be great if more schools could have visits from Lifestyle Ambassadors. If one came to the Hawke’s Bay for a couple of days, they could visit all the high schools. These visits need to be followed up with a programme of visits from a nutritionist who can back up what the Lifestyle Ambassadors have said and tell us how we can achieve a healthy lifestyle, through a balanced diet and physical activity.”

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‘MOVE ME’

Wairarapa DHB has found a way to confront a ‘big’ problem head on, with three high profile local people becoming ‘Lifestyle Champions’ and very publicly stepping out on year’s journey of lifestyle change and weight reduction.

Their ‘Move Me’ programme was designed by the Wairarapa Public Health Unit, and has attracted unprecedented local support and interest.

“It all started with me taking a long hard look at myself,” says Health Promoter Nicky Poona, who delivers the ‘Health Promoting Schools’ programme throughout the Wairarapa.
“I felt I couldn’t deliver the message effectively the shape I was in at over 110kg, so I talked to colleagues in the Public Health Unit, and it snowballed from there.”

The Public Health Unit immediately saw the potential for getting across the ‘healthy eating – healthy action’ message by telling real stories about real people – warts and all. “We all know that obesity is a growing problem in New Zealand,” says project co-ordinator Anna Stuart. “Lots of people think that it’s just a matter of dieting and self control to turn that around. It’s not. It’s all about balanced, sustainable lifestyle changes. That’s why fad diets don’t work in the long run.”

Quick to sign up for the programme were Masterton Pacific Island community identity Tere Torea and Carterton mayor Gary McPhee. “I’m not ashamed to be part of this,”
says Tere. “There are a lot of big people out there, and if I can do it, then maybe others will do it too.” Tere and Gary both had sedentary lifestyles following injuries and weighed in at over 140kg each.

Gary had his own reasons for wanting to make changes to his lifestyle. “I live in the public eye,” he says. “What kind of message am I giving to our community? We have great facilities here in Carterton to support healthy lifestyles – I hope by using them myself, I’ll inspire other people to get out there and give them a go too.”

“Since we started this project, it’s really got a life of its own,” says Wairarapa DHB Communications Manager Jill Stringer. “With the support of local media, we ran a weekly profile of the champions where they described their trials and successes. The WairarapaNews gave us a half page every week and then embarked on an ‘activate your workplace’ promotion. Radio station MoreFM not only gave airtime but put up a parallel team of their own, developed a ‘Move Me’ webpage, and are now organising a workplace challenge to take place on Push Play Day.”
“Community groups are phoning in asking for the ‘Move Me’ Champions to come and support their healthy eating or healthy action projects – like the ‘Supergrans microwave cook-off’ or the Air Training Corps cadets’ 38km walk from Featherston to Masterton.”

Five months into the programme, the Champions report much more active lifestyles and a combined weight loss of nearly 50kg – though not without some stumbles along the way.
“‘Move Me’ has struck an unexpected chord in our community,” says Jill. “The most exciting thing has been the way people can relate to the Champions’ experience, and are taking steps to make small, significant and sustainable changes in their own lives.”

This article was written by Jill Stringer,
Wairarapa DHB Communications Manager.

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Mission-On

It’s hard to believe Mission-On is now one year old!

It’s a good time to reflect on all of the things we’ve achieved since the Prime Minister and the Ministers for Education, Health, Sport and Recreation and Youth Affairs launched the campaign on 21 September 2006, to improve the lifestyles of young New Zealanders, through nutrition and physical activity.

Mission-On Campaign Leader Kay Harrison says since its inception, literally hundreds of thousands of children and young people have been affected by Mission-On, through visits to schools by Lifestyle Ambassadors, Student Health Promotion events and visits from the five Mission-On Ministers, as well as TVNZ’s Studio 2 programme, which features a regular Mission-On section on each of its shows and its website the hub.tv
“There’s now a voluntary agreement between the Government and the beverage industry to have all full-sugar fizzy drinks removed from schools by 2009. We’ve also got a voluntary agreement with the New Zealand Television Broadcasters Council to improve food advertising to children and work is progressing on this issue.”

The Ministry of Education’s Food and Nutrition for Healthy, Confident Kids Guidelines for primary and secondary schools and for early childhood education services are being implemented. This is complemented by the Food and Beverage Classification System, which classifies foods and drinks into three main categories for consumption; everyday, sometimes and occasionally.

From June next year, schools will only be able to sell healthy foods and drinks and healthy eating will be promoted in schools and ECE services, through the Ministry of Education’s National Administration Guidelines. “Although Mission-On has only been around for just over a year, great things have already been achieved, however there is still plenty more to be done. Making these kinds of changes with our children and young people takes time and we’re well aware of that.”

Kay says in the next few months, a new children’s TV cooking and activity game show called Activate will be launched, and an interactive website for five to 12-year-olds will go live.
Mission-On – Government Walk the Talk will be rolled out to more government departments shortly to help government employees model healthy activity and nutrition choices in the workplace. Right now, the Ministry of Health and SPARC are piloting the programme to find out what works well and what doesn’t. The successful Green Prescription programme will also be expanded to reach more young people and their families. “It’s exciting to be part of the Mission-On campaign, especially now
when we are beginning to see many of the initiatives being rolled out. I’m looking forward to what 2008 will bring,” says Kay Harrison.

“Look out for the Mission-On Information Update booklet which has been revised and is now available.”

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Introducing Kim Sinclair

As if being a full-time HEHA Project Manager at West Coast DHB isn’t enough, Kim Sinclair also juggles her other life as a netball umpire in the New Zealand squad, as well as completing her PhD on childhood obesity trends.

Born and bred on the West Coast, Kim returned in February this year to take up the role of West Coast DHB HEHA Project Manager, after a nine year stint in Christchurch studying exercise science and later lecturing at Lincoln University.

Kim says the West Coast is a very different place to what it was when she last lived there with a huge growth in the tourism industry, but the community spirit and participation is just as good as it once was.

She’s 16 months into her PhD, which looks at trends in obesity in New Zealand children from 1913 to 2007. Kim has until the end of 2011 to complete it, but
given the fact she’s obviously an exceptional multi-tasker she hopes to have it completed before then.
“So far my research has shown that we are in or heading towards a childhood obesity epidemic. Similar to adult obesity figures, childhood obesity rates have been climbing since the mid-1980s and the average BMI (body mass index) has increased considerably during that time too.”

Kim says the biggest challenge she faces on the West Coast is the vast area it covers. With a land mass of 600km to implement HEHA, that’s about the distance between Wellington and Auckland.
“But in saying that, when we’ve done community consultations in the three main West Coast districts of Buller, Grey District and Westland, we’ve had really great feedback and good participation.”

And then there’s Kim’s successful career as a New Zealand netball umpire. After playing representative netball for the Buller-Westland region she gained her New Zealand netball umpire badge soon after moving to Christchurch.
“This year I’ve been a member of the New Zealand Development Squad but I’ve just been named in the national squad so I’m waiting to find out whether I’ll be picked for the international squad which could see me umpiring games across the ditch and around the Pacific in the coming season.”

While a member of the New Zealand Development Squad this year, she was an umpire at the recent Trans-Tasman Secondary Schools National Championships in Auckland. Umpiring the Australia – New Zealand final, Kim watched as the Kiwi girls went down to the Aussies by one point in the final seconds of the game.
“It was heartbreaking for the Kiwi team, I had pulled up one of our players for contact in the final moments of the game, which saw the Aussies get one more goal to take out the match.”

In between her extremely busy life, Kim still manages to find the time to spend with partner Craig and their cat Oscar.

What's Happening in Kim's Region:

Tucking In initiative sees West Coast communities working together to create healthy futures It was after watching the ‘Sunday’ current affairs programme on television
that gave Kim and her colleague Helen the idea for Tucking In – a West Coast grow your own initiative between the West Coast DHB and Sport West Coast.

The item on the Sunday programme featured an editor of the New Zealand Gardener magazine who dug up her whole backyard to become sustainable through growing her own vegetables. Kim thought she could recreate this idea throughout schools and early childhood education (ECE) services on the West Coast.

Tucking In has been supported by local businesses and community groups and has been so successful that all 34 schools on the West Coast now have raised garden boxes. These have begun planting their own veges to create a sustainable resource.
“Mitre 10 in Greymouth donated the 2m x 2m raised garden kit sets to all the schools, which then led to Active West Coast (a community group) funding the garden kit sets to all ECEs in the region.”
“We had the Minister of Health Pete Hodgson come down in August to plant the first seedlings at Runanga School. This school plans on using the vegetables in meals they prepare at their Runanga Rascals Café at the school. Hokitika School is allowing parents to help themselves to the veges in their garden once they’ve grown and
another school is looking at whether they can grow and sell their vegetables.”

Kim says it has now become a community intervention and it’s amazing how one small idea has grown into something the whole community is behind.
“We’ve held community education workshops for parents, children and community members throughout the West Coast with support from the West Coast Regional Council, who have given advice on composting, and Tai Poutini Polytechnic, who provided a horticulturist from their department who planted seedlings for the children
to take home.”

Tucking In has become such a hit that Mitre 10 is now supplying the garden kit sets at cost so members of the community can purchase them.
“Small steps lead to big changes and we hope Tucking In will develop further and continue to have huge benefits for the health and well-being of our West Coast population.”

* Tucking In is currently being supported by national and local organisations such as Mitre 10 Greymouth, Greymouth Lions, Tasman Tyres, Yates, NZ Gardener,
the Cancer Society and many more.

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Info & Tips

Library Corner

The following include the latest studies and research in the HEHA arena:

Why, What, When, and How Much We Eat

This research unit from Cornell University looks at the psychology behind people’s eating habits. It explores ideas that include the promotion of fruit and vegetables,
as well as serving size.
For more information and to view the results of the research go to: http:// foodpsychology.cornell.edu/index.htm

Study suggests family meals foster healthy nutrition habits

A study in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior suggests that eating meals as a family is an effective strategy for improving children’s diets. To read the study online go to: http://www.jneb.org/article/ PIIS149940460700471X/abstract

CDC study finds U.S. schools making progress in decreasing availability of junk food and promoting physical activity

The nation’s schools have made considerable improvements in their policies and programmes to promote the health and safety of students, particularly in the areas of nutrition, physical activity and tobacco use, says a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, more needs to be done to strengthen school health and wellness policies and programmes, according to CDC. To read the study online go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/shpps/index.htm

HEHA Tips

Healthy eating is...

November is 5+ A Day National Fruit and Vegetable Month, which aims to increase awareness of the need to eat more fruit and vegetables. Check out
the 5+ A Day website for some great fruit and vege recipe ideas – www.5aday.co.nz

Try one of the recipes from the 5+ A Day website like this one below.

Healthy action is...

Make the most of the extra daylight hours by going for a walk in the evening with friends or family, playing outside with the kids after dinner, joining a summer touch rugby team, or walking or cycling to or from work.

ACC’s Active Smart website is a great a tool to get people active. Once you’ve signed up to the website, an exercise plan is designed specifically for you. The website also features nutrition and physical activity advice as well as upcoming events.

Potato Frittata

5 minutes preparation + 10-15 minutes cooking

250g sweet potato, sliced
250g potato, sliced
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch baby spinach, washed & drained
3 eggs, beaten
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp nutmeg

• Preheat grill. Boil potato for 4-5 minutes until tender, or microwave on HIGH (100%) in a covered dish with 1 tablespoon water for 5-6 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Drain well. Heat oil in a non-stick frypan, add onion and cook for 2 minutes until golden. Add potato, toss to combine and brown.
• Stir in spinach and stir-fry until wilted and moisture has evaporated. Mix eggs, cheese and nutmeg in a small bowl and pour into pan.
• Cook over low heat until set. Place under hot grill for 2 minutes to brown the top.

Serves 4.

Variation: Try finely shredded Chinese cabbage instead of spinach.
Serving suggestion: Serve hot or cold. Cut into wedges and serve with salad for
a light lunch. For a special breakfast/lunch dish serve with grilled tomatoes
and crunchy wholemeal toast.

Contact Details

We would love to get your feedback on this bi-monthly newsletter and, of course,to hear how HEHA is being implemented in your respective regions. Please send your contributions to heha@moh.govt.nz