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Healthy Eating Programme Updates
May 2007
HEALTHY EATING FOR CHILDREN
BEGINS AT THE DINNER TABLE
The first step towards achieving a healthy diet for children begins with bringing a family together to eat regularly, according to the new national Healthy Eating programme.
The programme, developed by the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) with assistance from Agencies for Nutrition Action (ANA), will spring into action at the end of May with a high profile mass media campaign talking to parents and caregivers about ways of achieving healthy diets for their children.
“We know that being a parent is a daily challenge, so we wanted to start by talking with them about healthy eating in a way that recognises the barriers parents face, but still offers a practical and achievable starting point,” says Michelle Mako, Programme Manager.
The first phase of the programme promotes three simple steps families can take towards achieving healthy diets for their children. The first step is to encourage parents to eat together regularly as a family, as their kids are more likely to eat better and make healthier choices. “The evidence suggests that eating a meal as a family around a table is good for children as they are more likely to consume healthier food, plus the family will have more chances to improve its communication and understanding. So it’s a good message on many fronts,” says Michelle.
The second step is to encourage children to get involved in the kitchen with meal preparation, so that they learn about the food they eat, and they’ll be more likely to try the new foods if they’ve helped to prepare them, explains Nikki Chilcott, ANA. “Children can start getting involved from a young age, even if it’s by bringing items from the cupboard or freezer, or setting the table. The key is to get them involved regularly and build their skills and understanding so they can grow in confidence and competence”.
The third tip in the series will start to look at specific foods, by promoting water or milk as the first choice for children, while reminding parents that kids don’t need sugary drinks.
“We will be taking parents on a journey, moving increasingly towards more challenging practices that we believe will contribute to improved outcomes for their children,” says Nikki. This approach has evolved from findings of formative research including a review of international evidence for social marketing for nutrition, interviews with 24 key informants, and guidance from a public health expert advisory group. For more information about these sources see the HSC website at www.hsc.org.nz/nutrition.html
The new programme aims to support those working in public health nutrition by providing a national platform to promote improved nutrition and eating behaviours among their communities. It launches at the ANA Ngahuru National Nutrition and Physical Activity Public Health Conference, in Rotorua on 23 – 25 May. Information and resources will be available post-launch from the HSC.
For further information about the Healthy Eating programme or resources contact Michelle Mako at michelle@hsc.org.nz or Anna Passera at anna@hsc.org.nz. For more information about the ANA conference please visit www.ana.org.nz.
April 2007
NEW EVIDENCE SETS COURSE FOR SOCIAL MARKETING APPROACH TO HEALTHY EATING
Two new reports released by the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) this week offer the public health sector an overview of the evidence for nutrition-related social marketing. The reports, along with expert advice, are informing the development of social marketing interventions that promote healthy nutrition practices and environments, to help maintain healthy weights and prevent obesity.
The first major report being released is the Rapid Evidence Review of Nutrition Social Marketing Interventions to Prevent Obesity, prepared by Quigley and Watts Ltd. The review focuses on effective social marketing interventions for factors identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as being causally related to obesity. These include high intake of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and sugar-sweetened drinks, and home and school environments that support healthy food choices for children. High levels of TV watching was also a factor included in the review.
The report identifies a number of factors important for effective nutrition-related social marketing, such as a coordinated national approach supporting local programmes, strong collaborative approaches, and targeted, culturally appropriate campaigns. It also found that effective nutrition-related social marketing can occur with nearly any target group in nearly any setting. The key to success, however, is a quality process for developing and implementing social marketing programmes.
“The report offers a useful overview for the public health nutrition community about what is happening internationally, and where there is evidence for success,” says Jim Mann, Chairman of HSC’s Public Health Reference Group for Improving Nutrition. “While there has been a lot happening in schools to influence nutrition, as we are seeing now in New Zealand, it is interesting to see how little has been happening from a social marketing approach in homes and communities. It gives us an interesting challenge for this programme.”
The review's findings are complemented by a report summarising the views of key informants from the nutrition sector, the food industry and related organisations.
Representatives from various industries and organisations were nominated by their peers to elicit a cross-section of views. Dr Sue Walker, HSC's Research Manager, explains “There was overall support for a social marketing approach to improve nutrition by helping New Zealanders adopt and maintain healthy nutritional practices. The key informants also agreed that healthy eating and preventing obesity is a complex, multi-faceted issue, and one that requires significant effort and commitment to contribute to long-term behavioural change.”
As well as support for a social marketing programme, most of the key informants agreed with a focus on improving nutrition for children through communicating with parents and caregivers. There was also a consensus that focusing on the needs of Maori, Pacific people, and families from low socioeconomic communities was appropriate.
The HSC acknowledges all of the key informants who took part in this exercise, explains Sue Walker, “It is invaluable to know that we have a high level of support for our planned approach from the sector.”
March 2007
NEW PROGRAMME INCREASES EFFORTS
TO IMPROVE CHILD NUTRITION
A new social marketing programme to be launched in May will bring a new national voice to efforts to improve nutrition among children and families in New Zealand. The Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) will launch the new programme for healthy eating at the Agencies for Nutrition Action (ANA) National Nutrition and Physical Activity Public Health Conference in Rotorua (23-25 May).
The Healthy Eating programme will begin by targeting parents and caregivers, particularly in Maori, Pacific and lower socio-economic households, with information about accessible, affordable and easy ways that they can provide healthy diets for children.
“Parents and caregivers are the best place to start,” says Michelle Mako, Healthy Eating Programme Manager. “Evidence shows that younger children have healthier diets, but as they start to get older parents and caregivers need new strategies and ways of continuing to positively influence their children’s diets.”
The focus on children is consistent with the priority audiences in the Ministry of Health’s Healthy Eating – Healthy Action (HEHA) strategy.
A mass media campaign using TV, radio and print channels will be the first major activity for the programme. It will highlight the importance of providing children with a healthy diet, while providing practical tips to help parents in their home environment.
“We know that there are number of challenges that families face in achieving healthy diets for their children, so it is vital that this campaign starts by focusing on actions and behaviours that are really simple, accessible and easy to incorporate into everyday life.”
The advertising is just one part of a broader social marketing approach to improving nutrition. “The TV and media campaign it is by no means the only way we will be working to influence nutrition and eating behaviours,” says Michelle. “We understand that improving nutrition practices is a complex, multi-faceted challenge, and any real change will be the result of a long-term, comprehensive approach involving many people and organisations.”
The HSC has been contracted by the Ministry of Health to deliver the programme as the latest initiative under the Government’s HEHA strategy. Cynthia Maling, HEHA Programme Manager explains: “The launch of the programme marks another significant milestone in the evolution of the HEHA strategy, which includes initiatives such as Fruit in Schools and the Food & Beverage Classification System. The new programme looks set to complement the efforts underway in schools and communities as it offers a direct platform for talking to parents and caregivers of school-aged children about the benefits and outcomes of improving a child’s diet in the home environment.”
The HSC programme will support other organisations and providers working in public health nutrition and provide useful and complementary tools to achieve shared health goals. “Working with the sector is a key focus for us with this campaign”, says Michelle. “We’ve been working hard to connect with our colleagues across public health nutrition so that we can explore together how the programme can work best for all of us.”
Information and advertisements from the new programme will be launched on 24 May, during the ANA conference. “The national conference is a gathering of key organisations and providers in public health nutrition, so it is an excellent opportunity for us to communicate with the sector and introduce them to the programme,” says Michelle.
For further information about the Healthy Eating programme contact Michelle Mako at michelle@hsc.org.nz or Anna Passera at anna@hsc.org.nz. For more information about the ANA conference please visit www.ana.org.nz.
December 2006
As 2006 draws to a close, the HSC is stepping nearer towards its latest challenge to deliver a social marketing programme to promote improved nutrition and the maintenance of healthy weight in New Zealand.
The programme will support the government’s Healthy Eating - Healthy Action (HEHA) strategy, focusing primarily on healthy eating.
“We’ve reached a key stage in the development phase of the programme” explains Michelle Mako, programme manger. “A major focus has been the completion of the review of international evidence on nutrition-related social marketing. The review contains strong indications of where there is good evidence for a social marketing approach. For example, it has shown that focusing on school-based environments can be very effective for this issue, which is supportive of recent initiatives such as those recently announced under Mission On. “
The review investigates approaches based on five key factors that are causally related to obesity. These include home and school environments that support healthy food choices for children, a high intake of energy-dense, nutrient poor foods, a high intake of sugars-sweetened soft drinks and fruit juices and a high level of television watching.
“We plan to share the findings of the review with stakeholders early next year through the HSC website. This will be accompanied by the findings of interviews with key informants from public health nutrition and related industries. Both pieces of work have been critical in helping us to form the direction, goals and objectives of the new social marketing programme.”
The HSC is also planning how the new programme will build on and support the work already taking place in communities, whilst establishing an effective nationwide platform for delivering its strategies.
“It has been great getting out and about and talking with so many stakeholders. As well as working to develop a strong relationship with ANA, recent activities have included a fono held with Pacific Island Food and Nutrition Action Group (PIFNAG) and the pacific nutrition sector”. Other events are planned in the New Year to explore the opportunities for building the programme’s reach and effectiveness with other communities.
The findings of the evidence review will be published on the HSC website in 2007 (www.hsc.org.nz.) In the meantime, for further information about the HSC’s new healthy eating social marketing programme contact Michelle Mako at michelle@hsc.org.nzor Anna Passera at anna@hsc.org.nz.
November 2006
HSC has commissioned a review of evidence about nutrition-related social marketing to inform the development of the programme. The review identifies the factors that contribute to unhealthy weight and obesity, and those that promote healthy weight and prevent obesity (based on findings of the World Health Organization Technical Report 916 into diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases). These risk and protective factors show the types of changes that will be needed to meet the social marketing programme's goals and objectives, and the types of strategies that will lend to these changes.
The formative research will include the views of several key people in the nutrition, education, and food industry sectors, including those with experience in working with Maori, Pacific and Asian communities. The evidence review along with these views will inform the direction of the social marketing approach.
Public Health Reference Group Established to Lead Social Marketing Approach to Improving Nutrition
The new Public Health Reference Group for Improving Nutrition brings together individuals 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.
Click here for more information on the Reference Group.
Last updated: 14/05/07.
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