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Feeding our Futures is a new national social marketing programme designed to help parents and caregivers ensure their children are getting a healthy diet. The first stage of the programme includes a mass media campaign that will talk to parents about healthy eating in the home, through television, print and radio advertising, as well as unpaid media. Over time, the programme will work with public health providers and priority communities and support them to help parents to achieve healthy diets for their children and families, whether at home or in the wider environment. Feeding our Futures has been developed by the HSC and is a key initiative from the Government’s Healthy Eating–Healthy Action (HEHA) Strategy, to improve nutrition, increase physical activity and achieve a healthy weight for all New Zealanders. Why do we need a healthy eating programme? New Zealand is experiencing a rapid rise in the rate of obesity in both adult and child populations, with significant implications for public health. In New Zealand, one in 10 children are obese, (10%) and a further 21% are overweight. Twenty one percent of adults are obese and a further 35% are overweight. Overweight and obesity results from an imbalance in energy i.e. energy intake (from food and beverages) is greater than energy expenditure (through physical activity). Good nutrition and healthy eating practices in childhood are important in shaping lifelong behaviours, as well as affecting overall health and wellbeing. We know that parents, families and whanau are central to developing healthy eating practices early in life. By supporting parents and caregivers with information about accessible, affordable and easy ways they can promote healthy diets for their children, Feeding our Futures aims to improve health outcomes for children. What factors contribute to the problem? The World Health Organization (2003) has reviewed the evidence for a number of factors that promote or protect against weight gain and obesity. It found convincing evidence that:
It found probable evidence that:
What is social marketing? Social marketing involves the application of commercial marketing techniques to social issues. It provides a practical framework for delivering behaviour change in a social context and involves communicating messages to key audiences to influence their thinking and behaviours (see www.socialmarketing.co.nz for more information). Other successful social marketing programmes delivered by the HSC include Smokefree, Auahi Kore, SunSmart, and Problem Gambling (see www.hsc.org.nz). How does Feeding our Futures fit in with the Government’s Healthy Eating–Healthy Action (HEHA) programme? The HSC has been contracted by the Ministry of Health to deliver a social marketing programme to promote messages about healthy eating as a part of the HEHA strategy. HEHA also includes initiatives such as Fruit in Schools and the Food & Beverage Classification System. Feeding our Futures complements 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. Who is the target audience? The programme aims to benefit children, particularly those aged 8 – 12 years. It does this by providing parents and caregivers with information that helps them to have a positive influence on their children’s diets. The 2002 Children’s Nutrition Survey found that the nutrition status of children 5 – 7 years old is appreciably better that that of older children (7 – 14 year olds). Parents and caregivers of older children need new strategies and ways of continuing to ensure that their children are eating well. That’s why Feeding our Futures seeks to support parents by reinforcing the important role they play and providing them with tips for healthy eating they can adopt as their children move into their teenage years. The programme will prioritise parents and caregivers in Maori, Pacific and low socio-economic households, to ensure the messages are most effective for these groups. These audiences have also been identified as priority groups in the HEHA Strategy. What does the multi-media campaign consist of? The campaign includes television, print and radio advertising. It also has a public relations component. The television commercials promote tips for healthy eating including eating together as a family English [2.5 MB mpg] Maori [2.5 MB mpg], getting children to help with food preparation English [2.3 MB mpg] Maori [2.3 MB mpg] and making water or milk the first choice for children English [2.5 MB mpg] Maori [2.5 MB mpg]. The media campaign will be supported by free television airtime, provided by the New Zealand Television Broadcasters’ Council, valued at $500,000 per annum over the next three years. Who is leading the programme? The HSC has developed the programme with support from Agencies for Nutrition Action. HSC is a Government-funded social marketing agency that promotes health and healthy lifestyles. It will deliver Feeding our Futures alongside other programmes managed by HSC including Smokefree, Auahi Kore, SunSmart and Problem Gambling. Visit www.hsc.org.nz for more information. Why have these three tips been chosen? The three tips in the ads are based on current evidence and on strategies being used in other countries for promoting improved nutrition. Evidence suggests that when families sit and eat home-cooked food together regularly children are more likely to eat healthier foods, such as more vegetables. Plus they learn from observing other family members’ eating behaviours and have the benefit of increased opportunities to communicate as a family and share stories. When children get involved with making a meal they learn about the food they are eating, develop new skills, and they are more likely to taste foods they have helped prepare, making it easier for parents to introduce more healthy foods into their diets. There is extensive evidence that sugary drinks contribute to weight gain in children. The 2002 Children’s Nutrition Survey found that almost one half of New Zealand children drank carbonated drinks and colas weekly and between a third and a half drank powdered and cordial drinks. Water and milk are a better choice for kids, as water is freely available on tap, has no added sugar and is great for quenching thirst. Milk is great for building strong bones and teeth and is high in nutrients. Whole milk is recommended for infants/toddlers under the age of 2 years. After 2 years of age children can drink reduced-fat milk. Non-flavoured milk is best as it has no added sugar. The programme aims to take parents on a journey into healthy eating, building their knowledge of simple, accessible and easy-to-adopt tips they can introduce into everyday family life. How bad is New Zealand’s obesity problem? 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. 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:
Where can I get more information about the campaign? More information about the campaign is available on the HSC website. Or contact: Michelle Mako, Programme Manager, michelle@hsc.org.nz Penny St John, penny@hsc.org.nz Rebecca Whiting, rebecca@hsc.org.nz Erik Erika, erik@hsc.org.nz or phone the HSC on 04 472 5777.
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