Change For Children

Comfort food takes us back to childhood in many cases – the foods we grew up with are our most familiar, and often come with connotations of love and care. Our tastebuds can be incredibly evocative, which is why family recipes are devoured with such relish.

The eating habits of our children are being highlighted today, World Obesity Day, as health organisations around the world focus on the growing problem of childhood obesity. If current trends continue, more than 260,000 school-aged children (aged 5-17 years) in New Zealand will be overweight or obese by 2025.

This is bad for the overall health of our country and the lives of those affected. “Right now, Kiwi kids are the third fattest in the OECD,” says Dave Monro, Food and Nutrition Manager for the Heart Foundation.

Home cooking can contribute to the problem, but there are many other factors as well. The Heart Foundation maintains that no single intervention can halt the rise of the growing obesity epidemic and supports initiatives to improve nutrition for children and create healthier environments, both in and out of school.

Now that more parents than ever are working, schools have a key role to play in the nutritional wellbeing of their students. Steps like instigating a water or milk only policy in canteens and tuck shops is a step in the right direction, as is steering their menus towards healthier options.

While the food supply in schools can be a challenging area to create change, there are great examples of schools that have made the switch while maintaining profitability and appeal with students. The Heart Foundation’s Fuelled4life programme, which supports school canteens with tools and resources, is being increasingly taken up with 65% of schools now registered nationally.

“We see this as a critical step for schools and it is positive that this approach is being taken up in other venues that children regularly attend,” adds Monro.

Food service is also a target, with the introduction of the ‘Kid’s Choice’ programme at the start of this year. Too often, in cafes and restaurants, the majority of options available for children are deep fried and low in fresh fruit and vegetables.

“This innovative new programme aims to improve food available to children dining-out in restaurants and cafes, by offering healthier menu options and providing more variety and balance in children’s menus,” he says.

“If we can improve children’s environments and help them develop healthier food patterns from an early age, then we lay the foundation for a healthy future.”

Children also need to be active – not only in organised activities, but by walking or cycling to school, to and from their friend’s houses and by being encouraged to play outside at home. Organised physical activities are a good start, but as any adult who sits all day at work knows – it’s hard to compensate for that. Regular movement throughout the day is essential.

Tips for reducing the chance of your child gaining excess weight include:

• water to drink, or sometimes milk
• offering fresh fruit and vegetables at every meal
• encouraging exercise as frequently as possible
• limiting screen time to one hour per day
• cooking meals at home and involving children in food preparation
• reducing their intake of processed food
• teaching them to read food labels
• not using junk food as treats
• modelling good eating habits
• encouraging a regular bed time

For more on World Obesity Day, click here.