Government going backwards on obesity

The Government’s decision to remove improving nutrition and reducing obesity as health priorities is stupid and short-sighted, when poor nutrition is a leading cause of death and disease in New Zealand, said Green Party Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley today.

“The Minister’s announcement removing targets prepares the ground for the axing of obesity and nutrition related initiatives,” Sue Kedgley predicted.

Ms Kedgley called on the Government to take a preventative approach to healthcare and retain obesity and nutrition targets and initiatives as they are crucial to stopping illness from developing.

It is estimated that there are over 8000 preventable deaths a year related to poor nutrition and obesity and the annual cost ofobesity and diabetes to the heath system has been estimated at $900 million dollars. In the next 8 years it is forecast that the cost for Type 2 diabetes alone will rise to $1,300 million per annum.
“It is just common sense that we need to spend money on preventing illness. It saves money in the long run by stopping serious conditions developing that require people to be hospitalised at great expense to the taxpayer.”

Healthy Eating, Healthy Action initiatives will be axed, along with many of the obesity and nutrition initiatives the Health Ministry has been working on for years, such as Mission On, Ms Kedgley said.

“Regional Coordinators of the Healthy Eating, Healthy Action programme have been told there will be no more funding for them after the budget, and the nutritional social marketing campaign, Feeding Our Futures, has been told its budget will be slashed.

“The Green Party’s $3 million Nutrition Fund, which helps schools with healthy eating and edible gardening initiatives also looks set for the chop.

“Following hard on the heels of scrapping Nutritional Guidelines for school canteens, the Government is rapidly going backwards on public health initiatives.”

The Government’s removal of oral and mental health targets was also short sighted given the huge issues the country faces in both these areas, Ms Kedgley said.

For earlier Green Party Press releases on this issue, see:
Ryall risks cutting off nose to spite face say Greens

Fundamental shift in health focus

Links to reports
Food, Nutrition and Health, Public Health Association of New Zealand position statement 2004 - www.pha.org.nz/policies/phapolicynutrition.pdf

Health and Participation: an active agenda - Advice to the Incoming Minister of Health 2005 http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesmh/4343?Open

Ministry of Health Obesity website - www.moh.govt.nz/obesity  

Diabetes New Zealand - type 2 Diabetes – Outcomes Model Update, Price Waterhouse Cooper, September 2008 http://www.diabetes.org.nz/resources/docs/research_and_reports/Type_2_2008_Update.doc