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In all developed countries, overweight and obesity are increasing.
Small changes to lifestyle add up over time: either towards or away from a healthy weight.
For a lifestyle that promotes healthy weight
- Eat a variety of nutritious foods.
- Eat less fatty, salty and sugary foods.
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.
- 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.
- Fully breastfeed infants for at least six months.
Source: NZ Ministry of Health, 'Healthy Eating-Healthy Action (Oranga Kai-Oranga Pumau) A Background 2003.'
Modelling healthy behaviour to your children is one of the most important ways to help them develop healthy behaviour themselves.
Nutrition notes for children and teens
Increase fruit and vegetables
Recommended daily fruit and vegetable intake for children:
- Three serves of vegetables (not including chips).
- Two serves of fruit.
Switch to low fat milk
In children who are otherwise healthy, low fat milk can be used from as young as two years of age. Low fat milk is a healthy food, high in protein and calcium for building strong and healthy bones.
More water, less sugary drinks
Evidence suggests that increased intake of soft drinks is contributing to rising obesity rates in some children.
Fruit juice, soft drinks, sports and fruit drinks provide a lot of unnecessary sugar. Changing to water as the primary drink can make a positive difference to children's health.
Alcohol provides significant calories with virtually no nutrition. Teenagers should be aware of this hidden risk of alcohol.
Cut back on the fast foods
Keep a family 'fast food' diary for a few months. Don't forget to include food your children may purchase at school. Review this with the family and discuss alternatives that will work for you.
Physical activity notes
Building physical activity back into the daily life of children and adults is important.
New Zealand's Ministry of Health recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week.
Some vigorous activity provides extra health benefits and fitness.
How much exercise is needed to lose weight?
Some evidence is emerging that for adults to lose weight effectively and sustainably, up to an hour per day of vigorous physical exercise most days of the week is required (much higher than currently recommended).
For children: turn off the TV
Just stopping children from watching as much TV on a regular basis, even when you don't actively get them to exercise instead, has been shown to help with weight control in children.
Benefits of exercise
There are many reasons it makes good sense to exercise and be physically active.
Even when it doesn't lead to weight loss, appropriate physical activity can have important benefits for:
- Anxiety.
- Coronary heart disease. CORD (Chronic obstructive respiratory disease).
- Depression.
- Diabetes.
- High blood pressure.
- Longevity (life expectancy).
- Osteoarthritis.
- Pregnancy.
- Stress.
Appropriate physical activity can reduce the risk of:
- Alzheimer's Disease.
- Asthma in adults.
- CVA (cardiovascular accident, or 'stroke').
- Cancer of the colon.
- Cancer of the breast.
- Diabetes.
- Obesity.
- Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones).
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