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HEALTHY EATING
In the last 20 years, the number of overweight and obese people in developed countries has increased so quickly that it has been described as an epidemic and New Zealand is no exception. In 2002/03 one in three adults was overweight (excludes obese) and one in five adults was obese.
The World Health Organization has estimated that the cost for obesity is 2 to 7 percent of the annual health budget, which equates to $303 million in New Zealand.
Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke, gallstones and some cancers.
Improved nutrition and increased physical activity would significantly reduce the prevalence of obesity.
Evidence shows that:
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Approximately 11,000 deaths each year in New Zealand can be attributed to poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.
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Of these 11,000 deaths, 8000 to 9000 are likely to be due to dietary factors alone, and the remaining 2000 to 3000 due to sub-optimal physical activity levels.
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Seventy percent of the deaths from stroke and heart disease are caused by poor nutrition and 80% of diabetes is attributable to overweight and obesity.
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Two well-established nutrition-related risk factors – cholesterol and blood pressure – along with tobacco smoking, are the three major modifiable causes of premature death.
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The Ministry of Health’s New Zealand Health Strategy identifies improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, and reducing obesity as population health priorities. Because these issues are inter-related, the Ministry has developed a strategic framework – Healthy Eating Healthy Action: Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau (HEHA) - to help develop a united approach to improving population health in these three areas.
The HSC’s role
The HSC has been commissioned by the Ministry of Health to develop a Healthy Eating programme to increase public awareness and understanding of the benefits of improved nutrition and to facilitate behaviour changes supporting healthy nutrition practices.
A national social marketing programme Feeding our Futures launched in May 2007 that, over time, will incorporate strategies to:
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Increase the knowledge and skills necessary for New Zealanders to adopt healthy nutritional practices.
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Increase public awareness of the key messages in HEHA.
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Increase the number of supportive and health-promoting environments, for example in the home, marae, workplaces and community.
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Mobilise, and provide ongoing support for, communities to create environments that promote and enable the adoption of healthy nutritional practices.
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Foster relationships with key nutrition and physical activity agencies.
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HSC's primary audiences for improving nutrition are children and high-need communities.
The approach is guided by research undertaken by the HSC in 2006/07 that includes:
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A Rapid Evidence Review of Nutrition Social Marketing Interventions to Prevent Obesity.
Executive summary [PDF, 108KB, 6 pages]
Full report [PDF, 1.8MB, 168 pages]
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A report of interviews with key informants from New Zealand's public health nutrition community and members from the food industry
Full report [PDF, 552KB, 16 pages]
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Note: To view the literature review and report from interviews with key informants in printable PDF format you will need the FREE Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Download Acrobat Reader FREE here.
Information about the evidence review, informant interviews and the latest programme developments is available in the Healthy Eating Programme Updates.
Healthy Eating Programme Updates
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
December 2006
November 2006
Related Work
HEHA Research Symposium 20-21 June 2006
Hosted by HSC on behalf of the Ministry of Health, the symposium and hui aimed to promote discussion about current and future research needs to HEHA. Key researchers and providers in areas of nutrition, physical activity and obesity attended to discuss and consider the formation of a research agenda to inform future policies and programmes.
Click here for the report and presentations.
Keep up to date
If you would like to receive updates from the HSC regarding developments in the Healthy Eating social marketing programme, please send us an email to info@hsc.org.nz. Alternatively, bookmark this page and return regularly to view progress on identified tasks.
If you have any queries relating to the programme you can contact Michelle Mako, Programme Manager on michelle@hsc.org.nz or Anna Passera, Senior Marketing and Communications on anna@hsc.org.nz.
Last updated: 24/05/07.
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