New Zealand Medical Association


NZMA Obesity Position Statement - Summary (October 2006)

NZMA -

Encourages:

  • All women to breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life.

Supports:

  • The Government's decision to invest some $76 million into fighting obesity over the next three years.
  • The recent formation of the National Breast Feeding Advisory Committee.
  • The initiatives Sparc (Sport & Recreation NZ) has to date taken to get our children doing more exercise.

Recommends:

  • The development of a whole of society approach to combating obesity through the establishment of a Nutrition Taskforce.
  • The Government develop a programme that requires schools to offer healthy food through their tuck shops.
  • That schools are banned from having vending machines that sell non-nutritious products.
  • That all junk food advertising aimed at children is banned, and the ability to advertise unhealthy foods on billboards around -  or close to - schools, is carefully regulated.
  • That New Zealand adopt the traffic light system of food labelling, which gives an energy density rating to all food where red is high energy dense, amber medium and green is low.
  • A sustained and consistent public education campaign to improve parents' and children's understanding of the benefits of healthy living.
  • The development of further patient education materials and tools for the assessment, prevention, and management of obesity.
  •  The development of a national accreditation system for providers of diet solutions that take into account long term success, good nutrition and a healthy diet.
  • Further research into obesity and its associated problems.

Calls for:

  • More work to be done across sectors to ensure that New Zealanders live in an environment which encourages more physical activity.
  • Local government councils to provide for more parks and recreational facilities in local communities, and the building of malls and shops in areas that are accessible by foot.
  • More training of medical students and General Practitioners on how to use behaviour change strategies to help their patients combat issues of overweight and obesity.
  • The availability of more evidence-based dietary information to General Practitioners and other medical practitioners.