Friday 1 May 2015 12:00pm
Professor Jim Mann and Dr Lisa Te Morenga have commented on the recent launch of Healthy Families New Zealand. This government initiative aims to improve people's health in 10 communities throughout New Zealand.
Dr Te Morenga says that Healthy Families is "a move in the right direction. We have had a lack of programmes like this in the last few years". However she cautions that "we also need to tackle the marketing of unhealthy foods to children and young people. They're bombarded with messages encouraging them to eat the wrong things."
Professor Mann agrees there needs to be a degree of control over advertising, but also emphasised that a raft of measures are needed to counter the present “obesogenic” environment. Of particular importance are programmes ensuring healthy foods in schools and other government supported institutes.
Read the news reports about Healthy Families
- Iwi leading the charge in obesity battle, TVNZ, 17 April, 2015
- Sugar taxes needed too, RadioNZ, 17 April, 2015
Further information
- Visit the Ministry of Health website to find out which NZ communities taking part in Healthy Families
- Obesity at last on Government agenda, but will Healthy Families NZ be good enough? Public Health Expert, 7 February, 2014
