MIL OSI – Source: Heart Foundation – Press Release/Statement
Headline: Protect our kids
We all know that children in New Zealand are growing up in a very different environment to what their parents did. Easy access to cheap, nutrient-poor food combined with less opportunity for physical activity has resulted in much higher rates of obesity in children.
This is a problem because of obesity’s associated illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, which until the mid-1980s was only seen in people once they hit middle age. Obesity can also trigger other heart disease risk factors including high blood and high cholesterol. This means that obese children may be at higher risk of developing heart disease as they grow older. We know that fatty materials can start building up within artery walls from childhood, but we also know that healthy habits developed early can last a lifetime.
That’s why the Heart Foundation has been helping NZ kids keep their hearts healthy for the past 30 years.
One of the first initiatives we launched was Jump Rope For Heart, which since 1985 has encouraged school kids to get active and raise funds to support our vital work. We are now into our second generation of kids who have experienced the fun of Jump Rope and raised money for a charity whose aim to stop people dying prematurely from heart disease.
Then in 1989 we started working with schools to improve the food they served in their tuckshops. But we soon worked out that to make a difference, the whole school environment needed to promote the same message about healthy eating. So, in 1999, we broadened our programme to include school nutrition policies and teaching students about healthy eating. These days, we offer schools a huge range of resources and we provide professional development to teachers. All our programmes are now online so everything is available at the click of a mouse.
We’ve also been making an impact in the early childhood sector. In the beginning, back in 1995, we provided resources and professional development to teachers. Then we launched the Healthy Heart Award to recognise the achievements of early childhood education (ECE) services. This award is given to ECE services that have created an environment which promote healthy eating and physical activity to children and their whānau. This includes developing policies, providing healthy food to the children , linking in with parents and whānau, and providing professional development for staff.
But it’s not just about the education sector. To stop the next generation of New Zealanders developing heart disease, everyone needs to get on board.
We have called on our political leaders to make some bold decisions, such as implementing a comprehensive national food and nutrition plan for children. Specifically, we’ve asked for leaders to regulate advertising of unhealthy foods to children; a tax and/or other regulatory measures on sugary soft drinks; and measures to ensure schools and ECE services provide healthy food environments.
Thankfully, we aren’t the only ones pushing for change. Check out https://www.facebook.com/protectourkidsNZ and become part of the movement to create a New Zealand where making the healthier choice is the easy, normal and preferred option.
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