Friday, 20 July 2018
Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre (EDOR) member Professor Louise Signal, has found that two thirds of all food sold at New Zealand sporting venues is classed as junk food.
Professor Signal, who is based in the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, conducted interviews with sports administrators and looked at food sold at 31 rugby and 20 netball sporting venues across New Zealand. Her research team found that 68 percent of food sold at netball venues and 62 percent sold at rugby venues was unhealthy:
"the majority of food that we have got at all of our sports across the board, from the national level right down to the local netball court, is dominated by junk food"
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world, with one third of our children overweight. Healthy nutrition policies are urgently needed in sports clubs, says Professor Signal, which requires support from health agencies and leadership from national sports organisations.
"New Zealand has high levels of participation in sport which is good for our well-being but we don't want this undone by a diet of junk food," she said.
Hear more about this study
- Junk food prevalent at sporting venues, NewstalkZB, 9 July, 2018 (4min11sec)
- About two-thirds of food at country's sporting venues classified as 'junk', Radio NZ, 8 July, 2018
- More needs to be done to stop junk food reigning supreme at sports events, TVNZ, 7 July, 2018 (1min49sec)
Read about those taking the lead in healthy sporting events
- Māori community groups lead by example in tackling obesity, New Zealand Doctor, 9 July, 2018
- Māori public health org wants healthier food policies at sports clubs, Radio NZ, 10 July, 2018
