Areas we work in / Ngā Wāhi Mahi

NUTRITION

One of Community and Public Health's visions is to improve the health and wellbeing of the people in our region by providing opportunities and motivating people to eat better by making healthier choices.

Healthy Food Choices There is specific work being done on getting people to eat more vegetables and fruits, and also includes outcomes and actions focusing on creating change in food, nutrition and physical activity environments and behaviours, such as increasing access to food (food security).

Community and Public Health staff are working towards promoting a nutrition environment which fosters healthy eating, along with resources that support actions to reduce poor nutrition that may result in chronic disease. The Key Messages for a Healthy lifestyle include:

Eat a variety of nutritious foods
Eat less fatty, salty, sugary foods
Eat more vegetables and fruits
Fully breastfeed infants for at least six months
Be active every day for at least 30 minutes in as many ways as possible
Add some vigorous exercise for extra benefit and fitness
Aim to maintain a healthy weight throughout life
Promote and foster the development of environments that support healthy lifestyles.

Community and Public Health staff are involved in the promotion of nutrition in education settings, within the community, and also in workplaces.
These settings can have a direct impact on the health and motivation of those involved (individuals, staff, and students).

Examples of current initiatives include:

Assisting early childhood centres in the development of edible gardens
Running the Appetite for Life programme
Assisting workplaces in the development of wellness programmes to help support staff retention, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity
Assisting community-lead nutrition initiatives such as the Cooking Skills to Life Skills programme.

Staff also produced a number of publications including the Health Nibbles series, with a range for tots, children, and teenagers, and a number of Nutrition Factsheets. A range of healthy recipes by Bronwyn King and other Community and Public Health are also available for download.