Reducing childhood obesity update From the Ministry of Health and partner agenciesMay 2016Welcome to the first edition of the Reducing Childhood Obesity Update. Each quarter we’ll send you emails on the various initiatives within the Childhood Obesity Plan as well as other childhood obesity-related activities being undertaken by the government agencies involved in the Plan. Childhood obesity plan backgroundThe Childhood Obesity Plan was announced in October 2015 and aims to prevent and manage obesity in children and young people up to 18 years of age.
The focus is on food, the environment and being active at each life stage, starting during pregnancy and early childhood. The plan brings together initiatives across government agencies, the private sector, communities, schools, families and whānau. |
Play.Sport launched at Upper Hutt school |
Play.sport is a fresh approach to PE and sport in schools and communities and was officially launched at Pinehaven School, Upper Hutt by Minister for Health, Sport and Recreation Jonathan Coleman in March. The initiative, led by Sport New Zealand (Sport NZ), is aimed at ensuring young people are getting quality PE and sport at school so that they remain active and sporty for life. Play.sport supports the ongoing development of quality physical education in schools for the development of young people. This new initiative incorporates the social and emotional skills already present in some physical education programmes, as a foundation for a community wide physical literacy approach, which encourages people of all ages to enjoy a life-long love of sport and physical activity. Play.sport is currently available as a pilot in 41 schools in Upper Hutt and Waitakere. Physical activity guidelines for under 5sA review into the current resources and guidance on physical activity for children under-five was released earlier this month. The findings and recommendations will help inform new guidelines to be developed in conjunction with Sport NZ and the Health Promotion Agency. Health Star Ratings consumer campaign |
The Health Star Rating (HSR) consumer campaign started in mid-March 2016 and runs until June 2018. The HSR system for packaged foods is about making it quicker and easier for consumers to make better informed healthy food choices. The first phase of the campaign concentrates on raising awareness and recognition of HSRs by household shoppers. The campaign includes a series of short videos explaining how Health Stars work. Consumers will also see information in the cereal aisle of Countdown supermarkets and in household grocery mailers. Adshels (bus stop posters) to strengthen awareness of HSRs and build the connection between online and in-store promotion were on display in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch for two weeks during
March. Healthy Families New Zealand update |
Healthy Families NZ takes a whole-of-community approach to improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, and reducing tobacco and alcohol-related harm, in order to prevent chronic disease. This approach challenges communities to think differently about the underlying causes of poor health, and to make changes – in schools, work places, sports clubs, marae and other community settings – to help people make healthier choices. Healthy Families NZ is being implemented in 10 locations across New Zealand and has the potential to impact the lives of over one million people. Encouraging schools to adopt water-only policiesIn late March the Ministries of Education and Health sent a message out to schools encouraging them to adopt a water and plain milk only policy. A sugary drinks poster was developed by the Health Promotion Agency and policy templates were provided to schools. Nutrition, physical activity and obesity/weight management researchThe Weight Management website, managed by the Ministry of Health, focuses on New Zealand nutrition, physical activity and obesity/weight management research. There is information on New Zealand researchers, news and upcoming conferences, New Zealand health promotion resources, as well as links to useful tools. The site also links to relevant international research. Subscribe to this updateKnow someone else who might like to get these updates? Let them know they can subscribe via the Ministry of Health website Contact usIf you have any questions please feel free to contact the Ministry of Health Reducing Childhood Obesity Programme Team |
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