Parents’ Role Is Key To Kids Eating Healthily

Parents’ Role Is Key To Getting Kids Eating Healthily

Media release, 24 May 2007

Embargoed until 1:45pm

A new healthy eating programme offers parents a helping hand in ensuring their kids are getting healthy diets.

Feeding our Futures was launched today by the Minister of Health, Hon. Pete Hodgson, at the Agencies for Nutrition Action conference in Rotorua. It is the latest social marketing campaign from the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC).

The new campaign will deliver a series of tips for parents on ways of achieving healthy diets for their children, to be promoted through television, print and radio advertising.

The campaign is one of a number of initiatives put in place under the Government’s Healthy Eating - Healthy Action strategy, contributing towards the health goals of improving nutrition and preventing obesity in New Zealand.

Eating together regularly as a family, involving your kids in food preparation and providing water and milk instead of sugary drinks are the first three tips to be promoted to parents.

Michelle Mako, Feeding our Futures Programme Manager said when families cooked and ate together, children were more likely to eat healthy foods.

“If your children help you cook or prepare a meal, they’ll learn about healthy food and are more likely to try the food they’ve helped to make. Research also shows that when children eat together with the family they are more likely to eat better, such as eating more vegetables.

She said the third campaign message was that water or milk should be the first choice for children, as kids don’t need sweet drinks.

Professor Jim Mann, from the Department of Human Nutrition and Medicine at the University of Otago explains, “There is considerable evidence that sugary drinks contribute to weight gain in children, and increase their risk of obesity. Instead, provide water or milk. Water is freely available on tap and milk is great for building strong bones and teeth.”

Professor Mann said providing parents and caregivers with tips on accessible, practical and easy ways they can achieve healthy diets for kids is just one way of working towards healthy weight outcomes for children.

“Overweight and obesity are a real problem in New Zealand. One in three children are overweight or obese and obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and some cancers.

“The Government has put in place a number of initiatives to promote improved nutrition, increased physical activity and the maintenance of healthy weight. Feeding our Futures is about encouraging families to improve the way they eat together, so their children are eating healthier food and get used to adopting positive eating practices as they grow into their teens.

“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. This campaign provides some of those strategies.”

By talking directly to parents in the home environment, the new programme will complement other initiatives underway that work towards improving nutrition and the maintenance of healthy weight, such as those introduced recently under Mission On.

The advertising campaign will be supported by $500,000 worth of free advertising per year for the next two years provided by the New Zealand Television Broadcaster’s Council as part of a voluntary agreement to improve food advertising to children.

ends

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