Hon Pete Hodgson
Minister of Health

24 May, 2007

New campaign builds awareness of healthy eating

Minister of Health Pete Hodgson launched a social marketing campaign to complement the Government's Healthy Eating - Healthy Action Strategy at the Agencies for Nutrition Action biannual conference in Rotorua today.

The campaign 'Feeding our Futures' has been funded and supported by the Government and developed by the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC).

"This is the first social marketing campaign of its type to be launched since the Healthy Eating - Healthy Action Strategy came into play in 2003. 'Feeding our Futures' will begin by communicating with parents and caregivers through a mass media campaign about ways of achieving healthy diets for their children."

Over the next few months, there will be three key messages, in television, radio and print advertisements, aimed at parents and caregivers. They include:
 promoting eating together as a family as often as possible,
 involving children in the preparation of meals, and
 making water or milk the first choice for children, instead of sweet drinks.

"Earlier this month, the Government and the New Zealand Television Broadcasters' Council announced a voluntary agreement to improve food advertising to children. The five point agreement with the country's two major television broadcasters - CanWest and TVNZ will see free commercial airtime provided to the 'Feeding our Futures' campaign. CanWest and TVNZ have agreed to provide $500,000 worth of free advertising to the HSC per year for the next two years", says Pete Hodgson.

He says the Agencies for Nutrition Action (ANA) conference in Rotorua this week is an excellent opportunity for the nutrition and physical activity sectors to get together to plan the way forward in terms of addressing the country's biggest public health concern - obesity.

"ANA and their sector members play a huge part in implementing the Healthy Eating - Healthy Action Strategy and I want to acknowledge their hard work today, as I launch this social marketing campaign, as well as the dedication and hard work of the Health Sponsorship Council."

Pete Hodgson says 'Feeding our Futures' will also provide a vehicle for the nutrition and physical activity sectors to continue to promote Healthy Eating - Healthy Action in their towns and cities in every corner of the country.
Link to Health Research Council http://www.hsc.org.nz/nutrition.html

ENDS

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