A third of New Zealand children are overweight, a new study has revealed, including 10% that are obese.
The poor state of children's nutrition is reflected in new statistics on physical activity rates of Maori and Pacific young people.
Sport and Recreation New Zealand (Sparc) chief executive, Nick Hill, speaking at the release of the Ministry of Health's National Children's Nutrition Survey, says the ministry's research has major implications for Sparc as one of the agencies charged with responding to the results.
"It's impossible to separate the issues of nutrition and physical activity in some partisan fashion as the two share obvious links and mutual health benefits. If we eat well and move more we'll be a healthier nation," he says.
The survey showed 9.8% of five to 14-year-old children surveyed were obese and a further 21.3% were overweight.
Overweight and obesity levels were highest for Pacific children, followed by Maori.
The study also found that younger children had better food and nutrient intakes than older children and were less likely to be overweight.
Sparc's general manager participation, Deb Hurdle, says that with childhood obesity on the rise it is sobering to look at current adult statistics.
"Physical inactivity contributes to 2,500 deaths per year in New Zealand, and is one of the biggest contributors to avoidable death," she says.
"It's been estimated that a 10% increase in participation in physical activity could result in 600 fewer deaths per year."
Hurdle says obesity and diabetes are forecast to continue to increase and in 1996, Maori and Pacific people were about three times more likely to have type-two diabetes.
Sparc says it is responding to the challenge of rising levels of childhood obesity, including developing initiatives that encourage children to exercise more and eat healthy food.
But Nick Hill says there is no "magic bullet solution" to the issue of childhood obesity.
"We'll continue to focus our efforts on getting more people, more active, more often."
Source: nzoom.com
