Charlotte Riceman

Achievement standard 3.5 / 90743

Examine (Critically analyse) a current physical

phenomenon impacting on New Zealand Society

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Charlotte Riceman

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Contents page

Section: Page Number:

Introduction 3
A: What Childhood 4 - 10
obesity is and reasons
why it might exist
B: What Childhood 10 - 14
Inactivity is and reasons
why it might exist
C: The relationship 15 - 18
between Childhood
obesity and inactivity
D: If and why childhood 18 - 23
obesity and inactivity are
issues for New Zealand
Society and what the
impact on society might
be
E: What are possible 24 - 28
solutions; How might
these solutions be
actioned; What might the
possible implications be
of the results of the
action now and in the
future
F: What influences 29 - 33
currently exist that will
help the solution/s to
work and what influences
might make it difficult to
be successful
Conclusion 34

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Bibliography 35
“Inactivity and obesity: Are Kiwi kids
becoming fat and lazy? What does this
mean for New Zealand society?”

The scientific knowledge and focus on overweight people and obesity

is now huge. The term “Obesity epidemic” is a common phrase used
in society, particularly by health professionals and doctors, who
emphasise their concern for our society and future generations’
health. Undoubtedly, there are New Zealanders, both adults and
children who are obese, but can we consider this an epidemic?

The word epidemic is rather emotive as it has medical connotations

giving the implication that mass amounts of people are suffering from
some kind of “condition” or disease. “Epidemic” means to be
“spreading rapidly and extensively by infection and affecting many
individuals in an area or a population at the same time.” While we
may consider some people obese, it may be an overstatement to
categorise obesity among plagues such as influenza and smallpox.
However, there are those who would argue against this analysis of the
“epidemic” to be an exaggeration since some statistics do confirm
that obesity and childhood obesity has in fact increased.

Epidemic or no epidemic there is indeed a need to change something

- even multiple things in order to improve the well-being of New
Zealand children. To determine possible solutions to this problem it is
important to understand what obesity and inactivity is, and why it
may exist. Is it something that always has, and always will due to pre
determinants or have we created childhood obesity through our own
choices?

Throughout this essay, I am going to attempt to answer and evaluate

many of the questions and opinions I have out lined above. I will also
critically analyse the following: Possible causes of childhood obesity
and inactivity, the relationship between childhood obesity and
inactivity, and reasons as to why they are issues of concern for New
Zealand. From this information, I will discuss possible solutions to
these issues and implications of the possible outcomes. Additionally,
whether current influences surrounding New Zealand are likely to
enable and allow these solutions or act as barriers to prevent them.

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Section A:

“Obesity”
It is associated with heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood
pressure and some cancers, however it is not surprising that this one
English noun causes much confusion, worry and concern amongst
society; our definition for the word is unable to be determined by our
means of identifying it. The New Zealand Ministry of health defines
obesity as “an excessively high amount of body fat (adipose tissue) in
relation to lean body mass.” To contradict, however slightly, we
identify this health problem by the use of a “Body mass index” (BMI)
which does not calculate “an excessively high amount of body fat in
relation to lean body mass”, but measures weight adjusted for height
and is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres
squared (kg/m2). For children and teens, BMI is age and sex-specific
and is often referred to as BMI-for-age. The BMI number is plotted on
the CDC BMI-for-age growth charts (for either girls or boys) to attain a
percentile ranking. Below are the BMI-for-age weight status categories
and the matching percentiles:

Weight Status Category Percentile Range

Underweight Less than the 5th percentile

Healthy weight 5th percentile to less than the
85th percentile
Overweight 85th to less than the 95th
percentile
Obese Equal to or greater than the 95th
percentile

There are limitations to the “BMI” which will be discussed more

soundly in section C. However to date, this is likely to be the best
measure of childhood obesity when considering both accuracy and
practicality.

Why does childhood obesity exist?

There are many factors that contribute to childhood obesity coming
from a variety of sources. Primarily, Society itself plays a large part
in fueling this problem; an article on “Med India” writes that “eating
fast food is no longer a fashion. It is now a necessity. It is the most
attractive solution in the fast-paced life as it is inexpensive, tastes
good and is made and served fast.” Society’s emphasis on instant

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gratification and our consumer driven lifestyles means we often look

for easy, convenient options when it comes to consuming food.

Generally, children do not have the authority to make their own

decisions when it comes to food preferences and quantities, but
unfortunately, what parents and caregivers are feeding their children
is often what is easiest and what does not demand much effort or
time. Food that fits this description is often highly processed, low
nutrition and high in energy. According to the 2006 /07 New Zealand
Health Survey, “Seven out of ten (70.9%) children had eaten fast food
in the past seven days. One in seven (13.6%) had eaten fast food
twice in the past seven days and one in 14 (7.2%) had eaten fast food
three or more times in the past seven days.” Limitedly, this survey
merely looks at “Fast food”; it is probable that these children are
consuming other processed foods that are high in fat and low in
nutrition, obtained by the means of a supermarket. It is much easier
to heat up a box of pies with frozen chips than to venture into
preparing a healthier alternative such as a salad, which can involve
washing, peeling, chopping and time.

Time is of course in an economic sense, a limited resource and

society’s priorities in relation to how we use this resource often
comprises of passive leisure activities (mentioned further in section B)
and as stated earlier, is about instant gratification. A scenario that
demonstrates this well is becoming increasingly familiar amongst New
Zealand families- a scenario where both parents work, who come
home exhausted and run down, who then do not feel they have the
time to prepare a meal and instead order some form of fast-food. This
is not to imply that parents are becoming lazier and do not care for
themselves or their family but to discern that we simply do not value
our health perhaps as well as we should. Because the fatter we get,
the fatter our children will get. A recent study, carried out at the
University of California, showed that obesity spreads within social
networks and that people with fat friends are 50 per cent more likely
to be overweight than those who hang out with skinny people.
Moreover, our children are subconsciously taking in the habits and
lifestyle choices we make. By indulging in the wrong types of food, we
are not only increasing passing on society’s “instant” way of life but
also increasing chances of obesity in New Zealand children.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, head of the British Medical Association claimed

in an interview that “fat people are simply greedy and obesity is
caused by over eating.” And that "We are in danger of “over-
medicalising” the problem." This remark caused much controversy
and “The Independent” (British online newspaper) writes that:

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“Obesity experts were immediately outraged, and said that Dr

Meldrum's remarks were unhelpful and anachronistic, as well as
politically incorrect. The 88,000 people who were prescribed with anti-
obesity prescriptions for drugs like Xenical and Reductil last year, and
the one in four Brits who, according to the World Health Organisation,
are obese, no doubt felt similarly affronted.

How, they probably wondered, could Dr Meldrum, a medical man, not

understand that their problem is genetic, an illness, a cruel
compulsion. How could he fail to understand that what fat people
need is medical intervention and drugs, and that if this was a simple
matter of eating less then they wouldn't be in this position in the first
place? And many would also say, what is wrong with being fat
anyway?”

If you are not one of these people, then let me ask you this. How
many of you have watched an obese person chowing down on a
double hamburger with double fries and a triple cola and thought
"Why don't you get it?" How many of you have stood in a newsagent
watching an overweight person forcing their overweight hands into a
family-sized bag of Doritos and thought "You shouldn't be eating
that."

And how many of you listened to Dr Meldrum and thought "He's

absolutely bloody spot on."

This article does not regard New Zealanders, nor is it about children;
however, it does give insight into westernized societies’ views on
obesity. Dr Meldrum’s statement comes across as harsh and offensive
even; so why is it outrageous to suggest that energy in exceeding
energy out is the cause of obesity? It is simple math yet deeply rooted
in our society and human nature is the desire to place blame on
everyone and everything except ourselves. Our society is constantly
creating more illnesses and diagnosing more people with disorders
that we deem responsible for our obesity. There is however, those of
us like Dr Meldrum who think suck it up, stop over eating and stop
blaming everyone else for your problems. There is a noticeable
“weight debate” amongst New Zealand society, thus perhaps obesity
is becoming more prominent within children amongst those of us who
disregard obesity to be a health issue and take a more “PC” approach,
seeing it as a bit of extra “puppy fat” or blaming genetics.

In addition, economic factors determine many of the choices we

make involving our children and the food they eat. Numerous studies
indicate that places with fewer economic and social resources have
higher rates of obesity. The 2006 /07 New Zealand Health Survey

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investigated the impact of socioeconomic status on levels of obesity

amongst children and found the following:

• 13.9% of children living in areas of deprivation had had fast

food three or more times in the past seven days, contrasting to
only 3.4% of children in areas of low deprivation.
Obesity of children by Degree of Deprivation

18

16

14

12
Percentage

10 Boys
8 Girls

0
least 2 3 4 most
deprived deprived
Level of deprivation

This data supports the assumption that “The fattest of us are also the
poorest”- an observation made by an article in the Listener,
November 2003. This is most likely due to takeaway and highly
processed foods often being cheaper than fruit and vegetables, meat
and dairy foods.

Undoubtedly, prices of food dictate to an extent what we choose to

eat and food prices in New Zealand have been rising rapidly. “The
Consumers Price Index for the food group showed an annual rise of
5.1 percent in the year to the March 2008 quarter. Price increases for
grocery food have been particularly noticeable. In the year to the
March 2008 quarter, grocery food in the Consumers Price Index rose
by 8.7 percent.” - Statistics New Zealand. This increase is largely
driven by rapid rises in dairy and grain products- products that are
part of the two lower tiers of the three-tier food pyramid; products
that we are told to eat “X” amounts of per day to remain “healthy”.
However, when money is scarce, prices become the crucial factor in
buying food not what is going to keep us “healthy”.

Currently, in some of the developing countries such as Mexico and

Brazil the prices of corn and soya have increased due to their usage

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as biofuels – Thus limiting the healthy choices of the individuals in

those countries even more than is already the case. Staple foods
which are creating healthy habits in habitual ways, are becoming
much more expensive and will be replaced by packaged foods, which
are typically full of added sugar, fats and salt.

The problem is that processed packaged food is often much cheaper

and more economical for producers to produce than healthier food
such as fruit and vegetables. Producing fresh food often relies on
natural endowments such as soil and climate, and large associated
costs of transportation and preservation; packaged food has a much
longer shelf life than fresh food. Therefore, healthier foods are often
more expensive for the consumer. For example, wholegrain bread is
usually $3-4 per loaf, compared to budget bread, which is less than
$2. Sausages, beef patties – all processed meats, are cheaper that
fresh meat. A box of small Soho rice crackers costs more than a large
bag of potato chips.

“How is it that today the people with the least amount of money to
spend on food are the ones most likely to be overweight?” -An article
from the New York Times proves partially why exactly the above
statement is so. Drewnowski went on a mission- to purchase as many
calories as he could. “He discovered that he could buy the most
calories per dollar in the middle aisles of the supermarket, among the
towering canyons of processed food and soft drink. Drewnowski found
that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips but
only 250 calories of carrots. Looking for something to wash down
those chips, he discovered that his dollar bought 875 calories of soda
but only 170 calories of orange juice.”

Conclusion: If you are eating on a small budget, the most rational

economic approach is to eat poorly — and get fat.

The environment in which we live unquestionably affects our

behaviours’ and habits, what we value in life and our attitudes. To an
extent, the family environment children grow up in influences the
likelihood of childhood obesity. “The risk of becoming obese is
greatest among children who have two obese parents” (Dietz, 1983).
This may be due to powerful genetic factors or to parental modeling
of both eating and exercise behaviours, indirectly affecting the child's
energy balance through an obesogenic environment. Expectations
and family values can determine obesity amongst children because
children build their own viewpoints and values based on what they
see and are taught – directly and indirectly by those they look up to –
more than often parents or other persons close to them. A study of
120 young children, who were allowed to "buy" food from a pretend

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grocery store, proves that even 2-year-old children tend to mirror

their parents' usual food choices. During the shopping game, it was
noted that children who stocked up on sweets, sugary drinks and salty
snacks generally had parents whose typical grocery list featured
these items. Similarly, children with the healthiest shopping habits
seemed to be copying their parents' lead as well. The findings,
reported in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, suggest
that it is not by chance that young children reach for sweets and
unhealthy snacks when given the chance. Rather, they seem to form
food preferences and decisions – potentially lasting ones, based on
their parents' shopping carts.

"The data suggest that children begin to assimilate and mimic their
parents' food choices at a very young age, even before they are able
to fully appreciate the implications of these choices," writes the
researchers, led by Dr. Lisa A. Sutherland of Dartmouth Medical
School in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Thus, parents may be creating an
obesogenic environment without realizing, purely based on their own
lifestyles and preferences.

Although the chances of obesity developing among children who are

exposed to the likes of poor decisions and an obesogenic environment
is relatively high, individuals do respond differently to food and
exercise once genetics comes into play. Some people store more
energy as fat in an environment of surplus food whilst others lose less
fat in an environment of a lack of food. The different responses are
mainly due to genetic variations between individuals. Although it is
rare for people to have mutations in single genes, which result in
severe obesity at infancy, it is possible for genetics to predispose
people to being larger. “Fat stores are regulated over long periods of
time by complex systems that involve input and feedback from fatty
tissues, the brain and endocrine glands like the pancreas and the
thyroid.” Thus, Obesity can result from only a small energy surplus
over a long period of time. Possibly, children who have always been
slightly larger than their peers and considered to merely be carrying
some “puppy fat” are just children who habitually carry surplus
energy due to their genes. Additionally, children with a family history
of obesity may also be predisposed to gain weight.

Historically, the predisposition to store energy in the form of fat is

thought to result from thousands of years of evolution in an
environment amid tenuous food supplies. “Those who could store
energy in times of plenty were more likely to survive periods of
famine and to pass this tendency to their offspring.” Therefore, in
today’s society where food is plentiful we may actually be instinctively
storing more energy than is necessary.

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The marketing and large amounts of advertising for poor quality

food products psychologically affect consumer choice. These products
are promoted partly because “many of the packaged, added salt and
fatty foods are heavily subsidised by the EU agricultural ministries
and others, as well as by the companies which all make money out of
processed food.” It is much easier to make money out of these foods
than fresh foods due to the associated costs of transport and
preservation. “A few decades ago food and beverage companies
realized that they could better reach their goal to increase sales by
targeting a nearly untapped market – children and adolescents.”
Children are particular vulnerable to advertising because before the
age of twelve a child’s cognitive development is limited and as a
result they cannot differentiate between the truth and advertising.
They trust and believe the persuasive statements made in
commercials. As one Heinz brand manager stated, "You want that nag
factor so that 7-year-old Sarah is nagging Mum in the grocery stores
to buy “Funky Purple”. We're not sure Mum would reach out for it on
her own." These tactics along with joint promotions where children's
entertainment characters and role models are associated to fast food
meals or other low-nutrition foods is certainly responsibility to some
extent for children’s dietary preferences of fatty, salty and sugary
foods.

www.dreamstime.com/junk-food

Section B:

What is childhood inactivity?

Put simply, inactivity is “the state or quality of being inactive” It is
habitual indisposition to action or exertion; want of energy and

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sluggishness. An inactive lifestyle is one that is sedentary or passive

with little or no physical activity. Determining physical activity is
difficult because people have different views on what they consider
exercise, depending on their own personal philosophies. However, in
general, childhood inactivity occurs when multiple children’s’
lifestyles are filled with passive leisure activities, which require a
small amount of energy output, and does not raise the child’s heart
rate.

Why does childhood inactivity exist?

Similar to childhood obesity, many factors contribute to childhood
inactivity. Technology is constantly evolving and today’s society is
very much technology-enhanced – often leading to sedentary, couch-
potato lifestyles, too much TV, video games, computers, and a
reliance on the car. Ultimately, we are not moving enough. Because
we value entertainment to keep us content, many of us, (children
included) seek passive leisure activities such as watching television
for some entertainment. "TV remains the dominant free-time activity
in America." The 2006/07 New Zealand ministry of health survey
found that “Two out of three (64.1%) children aged 5-14 years usually
watched two or more hours of television a day, which equates to
368,700 children.”

It is not only the television promoting inactivity among children,

simple inventions such as escalators and elevators that we take for
granted, designed to suit our increasingly fast lifestyles are second
nature to today’s children, embedding attitudes condemning active
lifestyles - who wants to climb the stairs when an escalator can do the
climbing for us? A study at the University of Geneva has shown how
something as small as taking the stairs instead of the elevator can
have a big impact on your health. The study started with 69
participants who had a relatively sedentary lifestyle, (they did less
than two hours of exercise each week and climbed fewer than 10
flights of stairs each day). Over the 12 weeks of the study,
participants were asked to take the stairs instead of the elevator,
increasing their average number of flights from five to 23. After three
months, tests showed they had better lung capacity, cholesterol and
blood pressure levels, their fitness level improved and they lost
weight. Researchers say that these results reduced their risk of dying
young by 15 percent. Although larger-scale studies would need to
validate these results, they are very promising and prove that small
factors that promote inactivity can have a big impact in the long run.

Our reliance on technology for transportation can increase levels

of childhood inactivity also. The attitude of “why walk or bike

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anywhere when I can use some form of motorized transportation

which will get me there much faster?” is one entrenched amongst
many of us and consequently being indirectly passed on to our
children. Research reveals that one in five parents “very rarely walk
anywhere”. In addition to our reliance on motorized vehicles to get us
from A to B, parents' perceptions of the risks outside the home have
severely controlled children's ability to carry out active ways of
transportation such as walking, biking, and skateboarding. “Despite
77% of today’s parents walking to school when they were children,
the percentage of primary school children walking to school has
dropped to just over half. The majority of primary school children live
less than or around a mile from their school, but at peak times of the
day one in five cars on the road is doing the school run.” These
statistics from a walk to school organization in the United Kingdom
demonstrates how “times have changed” and it is now more socially
acceptable and common for schoolchildren to be dropped off at school
in a vehicle. A survey carried out by a New Zealand organization “Safe
routes to school” (SRTS) found the following:

 As children, 77% of parents either walked or cycled to school,

compared with 30% of their children who do so now.
 The modal shift has been from walking as the dominant mode of
transport to school for parents (65%) to that of the car being so
for children (66%).
 There has been a 4.5 fold increase in the numbers of children
travelling to school by car compared to the numbers of parents
who travelled to school by car as children.

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These statistic confirm that New Zealand children today use

considerably more inactive forms of transport than previous
generations.

“Worrying parents” limits children’s activities and the ability to be

active. “Just go play outside” is often no longer a viable option. Some
may even argue that friendly neighborhood games of dodge ball and
soccer are memories of an earlier era. Parents have raised their
concerns about busy streets and child predators. “We don’t raise kids
to lose them early — we raise them to bury us” one man who drives
his granddaughter to school each day declared. One woman, on the
subject of her child walking to school said, “I admit I was worried, I
made him stop at my sister-in-law’s house and call me halfway when
he got there”. It is possible that parents “mollycoddling” is limiting
possible exercise and activity for their children. Besides, is there even
a legitimate reason behind the over protecting of parents? The
answer is likely to be “No”. “In this age of Amber alerts and reports of
child predators, a sort of mass hysteria has been created.” There are
no more incidents today than in the past of kids being abducted,” one
parent said, (based on statistics she has seen.) Thus, protective
parents may be doing more harm to their children than good.

Most children spend at least six hours a day, 30 hours a week at

school or some other similar institution, so it is vital that they receive
some form of exercise during school hours. However, in many primary
schools, there is often a lack of space, equipment and specialist PE
teachers, limiting the amount of physical activity children receive. The
tighter school budgets become and greater academic requirements
can force many schools to push physical education class to the
bottom of the priority list. The 2003 National Child Nutrition Survey
found that the amount of physical education being taught in New
Zealand schools has declined. According to the survey, one out of five
children between five and six and seven to 10 years of age had no
physical education class over the seven days of study (Ministry of
Health 2003). Often in New Zealand schools, it is the individual
teacher who decides on the content, duration and frequency of
physical education as compulsory physical education is not required.
Therefore, a teacher’s own enthusiasm, interests and knowledge on
physical education solely determines the amount and type of physical
activity that their students are receiving at school. The irony is that
despite our knowledge of the importance of physical activity to
children and strongly advocated campaigns aimed at children and
schools such as “Push play”, not all children are getting some form of
exercise during school hours and we are the ones preventing it.
Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that the teaching of physical
activities is often of poor quality, which is understandable;

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schoolteachers are primarily hired, based on their skills in academic

teaching and are not usually trained in areas of physical education. If
a child is experiencing physical education of poor quality, taken by a
teacher who is rather unenthusiastic, then chances are the child will
not enjoy the lesson and their views on physical activity may form
negatively, increasing chances even further of inactivity in the
individual. Undeniably, the lack of specialist Physical education
teachers and to some extent willingness amongst teachers does allow
for childhood inactivity.

The environment children grow up in, especially the family

environment is a strong determinant of childhood inactivity. Children
build many of their core values and morals as they grow based on
what their parents say and do – it is human nature. As discussed
earlier in section A, even very young children begin to form opinions
and preferences based on their parents’. If a child is familiar with an
obesogenic environment, where parents speak negatively of exercise,
see physical education in school as a “waste of time” and are a classic
example of a “couch potato”, then chances are the child will follow
suit. It is poignant, because for some children an inactive lifestyle is
all they have ever been exposed to, hence subconsciously, that is all
they know how to do.

Differences in Priorities manipulate the rate of childhood inactivity

also. Factors such as cultures, personalities and interests mean
different people will value the same things to different extents.
Similarly, to the above, how much a parent prioritizes being active is
likely to influence a child’s view on physical activity also and no doubt
there are some parents who do not rate activity particularly high on
their list of priorities. Thus, they are unwilling to spend disposable
income on activity- sporting equipment and sports fees and the child
misses out on exercise. Those in lower socio-economic groups in
particular are possibly unable to afford sporting equipment and pay
sports fees, who then unfortunately overlook activity and exercise
when in reality lack of money does not largely hinder an active
lifestyle. Playing around outside or kicking a ball around are much
cheaper leisure activities than watching television, however there are
people who will happily pay for “Sky television” each month yet state
they are unable to pay for sports fees. This is a prime example of how
physical activity rates poorly on people’s priorities, and ultimately
leads to childhood inactivity.

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Section C:

Relationships between childhood obesity and

inactivity
Childhood obesity and childhood inactivity often go hand in hand and
to some extent share a cyclical relationship.
Passive
Difficulties with
Unhealthy leisure
movement due to
food alternatives
Large size
food choices
portions Lack of
motivation to
exercise

Obesity Inactivity

A surplus of
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kilojoules
Charlotte Riceman

The diagram above shows in a simplistic form the way in which

childhood obesity and inactivity are linked. Children who are
considered obese are likely to find it difficult being active due to the
excess weight they must now carry, leading to preferences for
passive leisure alternatives. They may also be inactive due to the
nature of physical activity and what it entails. Obese children can be
incredibly vulnerable to bullying while taking part in physical
activities, predominantly within schools. Consequently, the thought of
ridicule and mockery is associated with physical education, putting
children who often need the exercise the most, off physical activity.
Children who are inactive, through habits and choices are at a greater
risk of becoming obese due to the “energy in, energy out” equation.
Inactive children are not dispensing many kilojoules of energy,
therefore if they are consuming food at a greater rate than what they
are burning off they will hold surplus energy, which is likely to turn
into fat. When our supply of energy is in surplus, the process of
metabolism stores excess energy by converting it into body fat. It is
also knowledge that people who are less active are likely to have a
slower resting metabolic rate. This is because physical activity
increases lean body mass and muscle; and the addition of muscle
mass on an individual will cause an increase in the number of
kilojoules that are consumed at rest. Muscle burns calories, while fat
does not. Hence, inactive children are often obese.

However, this cyclical relationship between obesity and inactivity is

not foul proof. It does not take into account the complex inter-
relationship between energy balance and genes, behaviours,
environment and other biological factors. The graph below
demonstrates that although a positive relationship exists between
Fitness and Fatness and risk of mortality
fitness level and healthy body weight, “normal weight” in terms of
appearance does not automatically correlate to being “fit”, likewise
Normal w eight and fit
being classified as “obese” does not necessarily mean “unfit”.
Normal w eight and unf it

Overw eight and f it

Overw eight and unf it

Obese and fit

Obese and unfit

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Risk factor 17
Charlotte Riceman

Year 13 Physical education, NCEA Level 3 Workbook – page 177.

Original content from: Wei, M.D, Kampert, Relationship Low
Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Mortality in normal-weight, overweight,
and obese men. JAMA. 282 : 1547-1553.

An assumption often made by society is that slim and “normal”

weighted children are healthy whereas bigger or obese children are
less so. Often we overestimate the strength and reliability of the
relationship between obesity and inactivity, overlooking the fact that
physical fitness may be a more powerful measure of health. For
example, a child who is extremely inactive, makes unhealthy food
choices but does not eat excessively, and does not have a history of
obesity in their family or the genes to trigger weight gain may remain
in a weight range considered normal, but surely, this child cannot be
considered healthy. This analysis shows just how complicated the
issues of childhood obesity and inactivity really are.

Part of the reason that the relationship between childhood obesity

and inactivity is not always consistent, (such as the above data) is
due to the measure of obesity – body mass index (BMI) calculation
and its limitations in defining someone as “obese.” BMI does not
distinguish between body fat and muscle mass. As lean body mass
weighs more than fat, children who have lower body fat percentages
and have larger muscles may be defined as “obese” according to the
BMI calculation, when in reality they are relatively healthy. Ethnicity is
also a factor providing limitations to the BMI. “Studies used to
develop the BMI classification system were derived from
predominantly Caucasian populations in the USA and Europe.” [1]
Studies have shown that ethnic groups may vary in their level of total
body fat at a given BMI, their fat distribution patterns, and their
extent of health risk. As New Zealand comprises of various ethnic
groups, this is a major limitation in defining who is fat and who isn’t,
and although it has been suggested to have different BMI cut-off
points depending on race, this is much more difficult than it appears,

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as many children come from ethnic intermarriages and have various

ethnic backgrounds. In addition, ethnicity is primarily based on self-
identity and culture, and does not necessarily have a genetic link.
These limitations mean that the relationship between childhood
obesity and inactivity is not as inter-related as one might think.

Recent New Zealand research indicates that at the same BMI value,
female children (aged 5–14 years) of Pacific Island and Maori decent
have a lower percent fat mass compared to their New Zealand
European peers [2]. In another study using a larger sample size,
however, no clinically significant difference in the relationship
between BMI and body composition was found between young
children (5–10.9 years) of Maori, Pacific Island, or European descent.
Thus, further research clarifying the relationship between BMI and
percentage of body fat percentage according to ethnicity among the
New Zealand youth population is necessary. [3]
Behaviour
Environment – unfixed  Habits
Biology – Fixed
 Food availability  Attitudes
 Ethnicity
 Advertising Determines  Self perception
 Gender
 Economics – availability  Expectations
 Age
of money  Personal morals
 Genetics
 Surrounding Cultural and views
 Family
views and morals  Priorities
 Personality?
 Upbringing  Emotions

Our pre determined make up and the variable

factors surrounding us determines our behaviour, which subsequently
determines our decisions when it comes to

food and fitness, influencing the strength of the relationship between

obesity and inactivity to us personally. In general, there is no doubt a
cyclical relationship between childhood obesity and inactivity,
however the strength of this relationship is hard to determine, as
many other factors come into play. Factors determining obesity and
inactivity are complicated; there is no one simple explanation.

[1] World Health Organization.Obesity: Preventing and Managing the

Global Epidemic. Report of a WHO Consultation on Obesity. 2000.
Geneva, World Health Organization.
[2] Rush EC, Plank LD, Davies PS, et al. Body composition and
physical activity in New Zealand
Maori, Pacific and European children aged 5-14 years. Br J Nutr. 2003;
90:1133–9.

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Charlotte Riceman

[3] Tyrrell VJ, Richards GE, Hofman P, et al. Obesity in Auckland

school children: a comparison
of the body mass index and percentage body fat as the diagnostic
criterion. Int J Obes.
2001;25:164–9.

Section D:

Are childhood obesity and inactivity issues for

New Zealand?
Childhood obesity and inactivity are issues for New Zealand. Whether
you see it as an epidemic, a “fat and lazy” crisis if you wish, or if you
feel it is something that has been exaggerated and “hyped” up, it still
remains an issue. Aiming to attain higher standards of nutrition and
physical activity among children in order to improve their well-being
and protect their health should be a major priority for New Zealand.
Statistics and mathematical measurements of obesity and inactivity
are indicating it is an issue. Yes, they may have flaws and limitations
but we still have our judgment; purely through observation, we can
discern that there are children in New Zealand today, who carry too
much excess fat and there are children who lead incredibly inactive
lifestyles.

How obese and inactive are New Zealand

children?
The 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey found that:

 Just under half (47.0%) of children aged 5-14 years usually use
active transport to get to and from school (walking, biking,
skating or using other forms of physical activity). Common
reasons given by parents for what stops their children walking,
biking or skating to school – live too far from school, busy
traffic/main road, too dangerous for reasons other than traffic,
takes too long.
Of children aged 2 to 14 years:
 One in twelve were obese (8.3%)
 One in five were overweight (20.9%).
 Adjusted for age, Pacific boys and girls were at least 2.5 times
more likely to be obese than boys and girls in the total
population.

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Charlotte Riceman

 Maori boys and girls were 1.5 times more likely to be obese
than boys and girls in the total population.
 There has been no change in the average (mean) BMI for
children aged 5-14 years since 2002.
 There has been a decrease in average BMI for Maori children.

Is this an Epidemic?
The above statistics show that yes, obesity does exist amongst New
Zealand children. However, the final two statistics are particularly
intriguing as they indicate that childhood obesity in New Zealand is
not the “epidemic” it has been made out to be – obesity has not been
“spreading rapidly”. Though to confound the situation even more,
between 1989 and 1997 obesity levels rose from 3% to 12.6% in
males, and from 2% to 5.3% in females who were aged between 15
and 18 years [1]. Therefore, over an 8-year period, obesity levels
increased by 300% for males, and a 160% increase for females, thus
an “epidemic”. It is even thought that this comparison may under
represent the true increase in obesity because the 1989 Survey used
a lower BMI cut-off value (30 kg/m2) to define obesity among
individuals of Maori and Pacific Island descent in comparison to 1997 –
(32 kg/m2). [2]Although the latter information may be less reliable as
it is untimely, a huge contrast between the two sets of data exists.
This is possibly due to the differences in ages, and for that reason
much older children are the likely cause for the label “epidemic”.
Additionally, the statistic suggesting that just over 20% of children are
overweight is particularly alarming because if current trends continue,
in time these children are likely to progress to an obese stage later in
life. All in all, epidemic is a matter of opinion; no specific guidelines or
figures exist which can detect whether something has reached
epidemic rates. However, the health of New Zealand children remains
a concern, especially considering the dire consequences that can
result, if not now then later in life.

The NZ medical journal, originally from –

[1] Russell D, Parnell WR, Wilson NC, et al. NZ Food: NZ People. Key
results of the 1997 National Nutrition Survey. Wellington: Ministry of
Health; 1999.
[2] Russell D, Wilson N. Life in New Zealand Survey: Executive
Overview. Wellington: Hillary Commission; 1991.

Impacts of childhood obesity and inactivity on

New Zealand Society

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Charlotte Riceman

Obesity statistics show that obese children, particularly adolescents

have a 70% chance of being obese as adults, and that percentage
increases to 80% if either one or both of the child’s parents are obese
as well [1]. Thus, inactive and obese children do not only create
detriments for themselves and society at present but also stand to be
a future burden for New Zealand society when they reach adulthood.
Unhealthy children will cost New Zealand, now and in the future a
great deal on many levels: in monetary terms, socially and
emotionally – to individual persons and families.

As a nation, we must forego spending a large amount each year on

areas that should be of high priority such as economic growth and
education due to the large costs associated with obesity health
related issues. It is estimated that obesity health care expenditure in
New Zealand is NZ$303 million per annum. [2]
This is a large burden for the taxpayer, and an unnecessary one,
mainly created through the likes of those living amid an obesogenic
environment. Although many of the health costs associated with
obesity, do not occur until late adulthood, if our children are becoming
much larger physically and increasingly unhealthy then inevitably,
they too will one day be large contributors to New Zealand’s health
care expenditure costs. However, this may not even be a solely future
issue; evidence is now suggesting that children are now developing
“diseases of old age” such as type 2 diabetes, which is caused from a
lack of exercise and poor diet. New estimates indicate 500 young
people aged between 10 and 18 years have the disease that was,
only a few years ago, virtually unknown in this age group. “It used to
be a disease that only affected adults over 45 years old, but not any
more,” says Mike Smith, president of Diabetes New Zealand. “It’s our
own inaction that is allowing Type 2 diabetes to become an
epidemic.” The fact that type two diabetes is often preventable
makes the whole idea of a “diabetes epidemic” even more tragic.
Type 2 diabetes and other diseases caused by obesity and inactive
lifestyles such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and some
types of cancers impact New Zealand society in an economic sense
but culturally and socially also.

Physical inactivity in New Zealand ranks behind smoking as the

second highest modifiable risk factor for poor health, and is
associated with 8% of total deaths. [3] Furthermore, it has been
predicted that today’s generation of children may be the first
generation not to out-live their parents. If today’s children are
becoming increasingly unhealthy and consequently sick, then this is
likely to pose as a huge emotional burden for communities and
families. A “sickness culture” concerns a phenomenal amount of

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Charlotte Riceman

people not just the individuals directly affected. It creates a large

economic burden for families to afford health care and can be
emotionally draining caring for a sick family member – advanced
cases of type 2 diabetes can involve coming to terms with blindness,
amputation and kidney failure, a horrendous ordeal for anyone to got
through. Sickness and disease is saddening for society in general,
having to deal with illnesses that were not necessary in the first place.

In the future, when today’s children enter the workforce, New Zealand
may experience a greater loss in productivity than present if obesity
and inactivity continues to rise. Presenteeism is the loss of
productivity that occurs when employees come to work, but are not
fully performing to the standard expected due to an illness or injury. It
is potentially a bigger problem than absenteeism, which may also
stand to be a future problem. Lost productivity and absenteeism has a
direct impact on a business’s bottom line, depleting New Zealand’s
rate of growth and potential competitiveness with the rest of the
world. US research has found the cost of presenteeism corresponds to
approximately 3% of a company’s gross payroll. [6] Another study, this
time Australian, showed that workers with a high HWB (health and
well being) score worked approximately 143 effective hours compared
to 49 effective hours worked per month for a worker with a low HWB
score. [7] The table below shows how the unhealthier someone is the
greater liability they are to a business.

Unhealthy worker Healthy worker

Self-rated performance of 3.7 out Self-rated performance of 8.5 out

of 10 of 10

49 effective hours worked (full 143 effective hours worked (full-

time) per month
High-fat diet
Low energy levels and poor
concentration
Obese or overweight
Irregular sleep patterns
Poor stress management
techniques
18 days annual sick leave
time) per month
Healthy diet
Fit, energetic and alert
Normal body weight
More attentive at work, better
sleep patterns
Actively manages stress levels
2 days annual sick leave

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Charlotte Riceman

[6]

Living with obesity at a young age can affect the well-being of a child,
decreasing their quality of life and not only through physical factors.
Generally, obese children tend to have a poor body image, partially
caused by the bullying culture often seen in schools and amid
children. Bullying can be incredibly worrying for children and lead to
psychological problems such as Stress and anxiety, Depression, and
behavioural learning problems, social exclusion and an overall
decrease in happiness.

Studies have shown that physically fit students are more content and
perform better academically. [4] Physical activity builds character,
pride, self-esteem, teamwork, leadership, concentration, dedication,
fair play, mutual respect, social skills, and healthier bodies; help keep
children in school; help develop academic skills to do better in school
and in life; and increase access to higher education. This long list of
benefits is all things that New Zealand children will not be receiving to
the extent that they should be, due to childhood obesity and
inactivity. Additionally, increase in rates of childhood inactivity may
contribute to the negative culture within New Zealand such as gangs,
as children who do not experience the benefits highlighted above look
for alternative ways to gain social interaction, acceptance or
appreciated in some way. Arguably, childhood obesity and inactivity
may be partially responsible for many seemingly unrelated issues to
New Zealand society today. Studies have shown that teenagers who
participated in team sports are less likely to have unhealthy eating
habits, smoke, have premarital sex, use drugs, or carry weapons. [5]
It all comes down to the well-being of a person, particularly one’s
emotional and mental state. Exercise releases endorphins into your
body that reduce stress, and is highly recommended as both a
prevention strategy and cure for depression and emotional difficulties.
Possibly, obesity and inactivity are contributing causes to the growing
rate of mental illnesses in New Zealand, which we are now told affects
one in five New Zealanders, undoubtedly a large proportion of society.
Additionally, depletion in physical activity may contribute to a culture
of unhappiness amongst society, which may sound asinine and
slightly ridiculous, but it is nevertheless, a negative impact.

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Charlotte Riceman

Decrease in:
Overall well- Decrease in
Leads society’s well-
Childhood to a being – Causing
Emotional state being as a
Obesity and
Happiness whole
inactivity
Value on life Increase of
Value on negative
yourself culture. I.e.
Gangs,
passive
leisure culture

[1] Ministry
[2] United states department
of Health. of health– and
Health Eatingy human
Healthy services.
Action Oranga kai –
Oranga Pumau: A
Background. Wellington: Ministry of Health; 2003.
[3] Ministry of Health. DHB Toolkit: Physical Activity. To increase
physical activity. Wellington: Ministry of Health; 2001.
[4] Ca. Dep't of Education, Press Release, Dec. 10, 2002.
[5] Russell R. Pate et al., “Sports Participation and Health-Related
Behaviors Among US Youth,” Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine
[6] Goetzel R.Z., Long S.R., Ozminkowski R.J., Hawkins K., Wang S.
and W. Lunch (2004), Health, absence, disability and presenteeism.
Journal of Occupational and Environment Medicine
[7] Source: The health of Australia’s workforce, November 2005,
Medibank Private

Section E:

What are possible solutions to reducing

childhood obesity and inactivity; how might
these solutions be actioned; what are possible

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Charlotte Riceman

implications of these solutions – now and in

the future?
Educating people – children and especially parents, about healthy
lifestyle choices and the negative implications associated with obesity
and inactivity may be the most vital and effective way to cease
obesity period. Knowledge, in general provides people with insight so
that they can discern what is best and make informed decisions. If
parents were more knowledgeable about ideas and concepts relating
to wellbeing, how to avoid obesity and the effects obesity and
inactivity can have on a person then it would create a personal
solution to the problem, as they would be more conscientious about
providing a healthy environment for their children. It is much easier to
prevent obesity than to treat it, and prevention largely relies on
parent education. In infancy, parent education should focus on
promotion of breastfeeding, recognition of signals of satiety, and
delayed introduction of solid foods. In early childhood, education
should include proper nutrition, selection of low-fat snacks, good
exercise/activity habits, and supervising television viewing. In cases
where preventive measures cannot totally overcome the influence of
hereditary factors, parent education should focus on building
children’s self-esteem and addressing psychological issues.

There are many means available to educate parents that will appeal
to each individual differently. Generally, there are ways to
communicate with all kinds of parents. One form of education is
through community-based seminars and newsletters / periodic
magazines, where those who are knowledgeable about parenting and
health related issues can give practical advice to parents.
Additionally, this could be subsidized by the Government, making
these educational resources free or of an optional donation, giving
parents an even greater incentive to show interest. Community
“gathering” type events can also create a highly positive atmosphere
where parents exchange advice and share their own personal
experiences. Situations like these also create accountability among
persons – inter-personal strategies. Another alternative is more
subtle, through means of television advertisements – a great way to
reach those who are more passive when it comes to finding out
information. Well recognized organizations such as plunket could put
their name to advertisements, providing parents with facts and ways
to eat healthily and encourage children to participate in less
sedentary activities. Television advertisements may only be 30
seconds long but they have managed to assist selling burgers and
fries in the past, so it is surely an effective way to influence a person’s
viewpoint.

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Charlotte Riceman

Educating children is also important, even though a child’s choices

are limited; their ability to make decisions concerning themselves
only increases as they grow, thus the more knowledge they hold the
better. Schools should teach children about health and fitness, how to
make good food choices and the importance of being physically
active. A set curriculum would ensure sensitivity when covering these
topics, preventing any psychological problems that may arise such as
bad body image and eating disorders. Future implications of this may
include healthier food choices amongst children and a greater desire
to endeavour in some form of physical activity, leading to an increase
in overall well-being. (See diagram on page 23.)

Many societal strategies can be put in place to solve the current levels
of inactivity and obesity among children. The Government holds a
great deal of power, thus impacting New Zealanders directly and
indirectly when it comes to decisions they make which then influence
levels of obesity and inactivity (Diagram 1 section 3). Government
policies often influence the level of individuals’ disposable incomes
and as it has been established that low levels of income is a cause of
childhood obesity and inactivity it is vital that Government policies
ensure families have the monetary means to live relatively healthy
lifestyles – income and price must be in equilibrium.

It has been previously suggested that GST (Goods and services

tax) is taken off the deemed “healthy” foods in order to
promote these food groups and making it easier for lower socio-
economic families to purchase healthy foods. This may well be an
effective societal strategy to reducing childhood obesity provided that
those who do eat poorly due to economic reasoning are capable of
changing their habits and lifestyles, which although often easier said
than done, with other solutions in place such as emphasis on parental
education, it may be highly feasible. Removal of GST tax will
particularly benefit those in lower socio-economic families more so
than tampering with other taxes because GST is a regressive tax.
Someone on a low income is forced to spend a larger proportion on
goods (e.g. food), and thus ends up spending a higher proportion of
their income on GST than someone on a higher income, who for
example will have money left over to invest.

It would be no easy task developing a graded GST system without

grey areas. Determining what foods are healthy and what is not is
difficult, however a grading system similar to the heart foundation’s
“heart foundation tick” campaign with standards set that are specific
to each food group may be ideal. In general, foods with GST removed
should have low levels of “bad” fats (saturated and trans), salt and

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Charlotte Riceman

kilojoules, and contain positive nutrients such as fibre and calcium.

The Government would have to employ nutritionists to analyse all
foods and decide whether they are qualify as “GST removable” or not.
Although it may be tedious to firstly launch the idea, in the future
when the policy has been established, it will only be new food
products that need to be checked out which will be much less time
consuming.

Another way to decrease costs of “healthy” foods in proportion to the

cost of “unhealthy” foods is for the Government to focus on giving
subsidies to producers who produce fresh produce and getting the
money to do this by taxing producers who produce “unhealthy”
packaged foods. Although the same issue arises, where it is
controversial and difficult to determine “healthy” and “unhealthy”,
once this is overcome (e.g. from similar ideas to above) it is likely to
have many benefits now and in the future. When subsidies and taxes
are placed on producers, part of the benefit or burden is passed on to
consumers. Since food is a necessity with no substitutes and therefore
highly inelastic, consumers will bear more of the tax and receive more
of the subsidy than the producers as the difference between the price
consumers pay and the initial market price is greater than the
difference borne by producers. With the big rise in the cost of food
over the last few years (food prices increased by 8.2 percent from
June 2007 to June 2008), the subsidizing of fresh food is likely to
greatly benefit all families especially those who currently struggle to
afford nutritious food. Possible implications of these two Government
interventions are children on a more nutritious diet, better levels of
concentration and focus in school and less malnourishment. The
current habitual lifestyles many low-income families lead indulging in
low nutrition foods may be reversed, thus increasing the physical and
emotional well-being of children, decreasing hyper-activity and
increasing longevity. In the future, the children of today are likely to
make these healthier lifestyles part of their own, setting an example
for future generations to come. Additionally, because the subsidies
and taxes make it relatively more profitable to produce fresh produce
than packaged unhealthy food (which is likely to be taxed), producers
may decide to switch resources in to producing healthier fresh food –
benefiting society by creating a healthier environment.

Implementing new policies and guidelines will help counter rates of

childhood obesity and inactivity only to an extent, because in the end
it all stems back to a child’s home life and their upbringing. – “you can
lead a horse to water but you can not make it drink.” Children with
greater health problems often come from families who are not as well
off – families often living off financial handouts. (See graph page 6) A
possible solution to childhood obesity is to give these families,

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Charlotte Riceman

vouchers for fresh food instead of solely money. This would have to
be done with great caution and sensitivity because otherwise society
may get the impression that bureaucracies are “taking over” and
limiting individuals own ability to make decisions. A way of doing that
would be to not eliminate financial handouts drastically but decrease
the quantity slightly, and bring in food vouchers to compensate. The
quantitative amount of the vouchers should be in proportion to
number of people living in a household, the household income and
their expenses. Whether these families appreciate the change or not
they are still, to some degree, highly likely to eat healthier foods
because they simply do not have the monetary means to buy what
they like. This may lead to healthier eating among beneficiaries, as
over time they are habituated with healthy eating and learn to
appreciate such foods to some extent. In the future, this could lead to
lifestyle changes and priority changes, leading to happier healthier
children (see diagram page 26). Although this analysis may be overly
optimistic and “wishful thinking”, it is definitely an idea worth giving a
go, if done properly with careful planning, positive implications are
likely to follow.

A way in which the Government can intervene to decrease levels of

childhood inactivity is to promote sports clubs, especially in places
that are of high deprivation. This can be done in many practical ways.
Firstly, subsidizing sports clubs that are already established would
make sports more affordable for families and therefore a more
desirable activity alternative for their children. Secondly, money could
be funneled directly though to sports equipment and space (e.g.
fields, gyms; predominantly natural environments) in schools, clubs
and communities. This would make physical activity a more viable
option for schools and communities because of the ease of resource
availability. If children begin to engage in more physical activity due
to the ease of financial costs associated and greater resources
available to them – natural and man made then there are likely to be
many positive implications. Estimates indicate that a 5% increase in
physical activity levels could result in a saving of NZ$25 million per
year. Additionally, $160 million each year could be saved if all New
Zealanders were to become physically active to levels that afford
health benefits 6. This release of financial burden for New Zealanders
is huge, and may lead to an increase of economic growth in the
future. In addition, children’s overall well-being is now likely to be a
lot higher, hence less health problems and proportionately more
health care professionals available to treat other patients, thus a
decrease in the levels of waiting lists and neglected patients – a great
benefit for society overall.

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Charlotte Riceman

Overall
increase in
well-being

Individuals
receiving
improved health
Cyclical
Decrease
care effect in health
problems

Enhanced
doctor to
patient
ratios

An increase in natural environment available for children to engage in

physical activity may lead to children developing an enhanced mental
and spiritual well-being as it has been verified that green spaces are
linked to improved mental health. For example, symptoms of ADD are
relieved after contact with nature. 6 Additionally, parks and schools
can offer activity and socialization; it has been proven that the
strength of social ties is important predictors of well-being and
longevity. 6

6 Bauman A. Potential Health Benefits of Physical Activity in New

Zealand. Wellington:
Hillary Commission; 1997.

Section F:

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Charlotte Riceman

What influences currently exist that will

enable the solutions and what influences
might act as hindrances?

“Influence”
The online dictionary definition states that an influence is the
“capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or
produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.” As
a verb an influence is “to move or impel (a person) to some action.”
From this, we can recognize that influences are often powerful; a
“force” of some sort which manipulates and persuades. Everyone is
constantly under the influence of something – to what extent though
will depend on their personality and viewpoints, how easily someone
is persuaded and what persuades them. The diagram below shows in
a simplistic way, how influences work, though in reality it is often far
more complex. It demonstrates cyclical effects and the way in which
we form our own ideas and beliefs.

Societ
y

Internal External
influences – influences –
Ideas formed Ideas created in the
within one’s self outside world &
through other people

Personal
viewpoints
The Ideology
we base our
lives own

Societal beliefs

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Charlotte Riceman

External influences are influences created from what is outside the

self. External influences can include the media and advertising, legal
restrictions – e.g. Speed limit and drinking age, setting, culture,
parents/family, friends and role models – e.g. Celebrities. Internal
influences are ideas formed within one’s self, based on thoughts and
feelings and one’s innate personality traits. Internal influences can
include fears, desires, knowledge, curiosity and one’s level of
sensitivity and awareness. These dissimilar influences then form our
own personal viewpoints, but to the extent that each one affects an
individual is always unique as it is determined largely by our
personalities – Personality is a solid core of traits, reflecting the
unique essence of a particular human being. Some people are
affected largely by intrinsic ideas whereas others focus more on what
is around them and are influenced extrinsically, having a tendency to
place emphasis on external matters instead of on more philosophical
truths. Intrinsic thinking tends to focus on morals and ethics whereas
extrinsic thinking is inclined to stress the external adherence of laws
and principles. This complex mix of diverse views and ways of
thinking ultimately penetrates through to society to create societal
beliefs – common ideas of mainstream society. These ideas then form
the ideologies we base our lives on in various areas of society – i.e. in
parliament and schools, which in turn affect society. Influences form,
grow and ultimately impact. I am going to use the idea of an influence
to discuss current enablers and barriers existing amongst society
today that will impinge on possible solutions (section E) and their
effectiveness.

Enablers

Currently, there are projects, ideas and plans set in place that are
likely to help the solutions suggested in section E to work. Many of
these influences were originated from central Government.
Recently the Government launched a $67 million four-year campaign
aimed at raising physical activity and reducing New Zealand's growing
obesity rates, targeting schools in particular. The campaign titled
"Mission-On" was aimed at schools in particular and involves the
Health Ministry working with the food industry and advertisers in
order to reduce the advertising of unhealthy food to children. This
initiative acts as a positive external influence toward obesity
prevention as it has created an environment that condemns
advertising of unhealthy foods. This “atmosphere” is influencing
society indirectly and affecting individual ideas and beliefs, ultimately
presenting people with a more concerned approach towards the

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prevention of obesity and inactivity. Additionally, because the

advertising of unhealthy foods is in the process of being reduced,
children in particular will be less susceptible to “commercial
brainwashing”. Therefore, they are likely to desire less unhealthy
foods, not because their tastes and preferences for fats and sugar
have changed but because they are no longer surrounded and enticed
by it. This would enable solutions to work, particularly solutions
involving price changes. In situations where price changes may seem
too small to influence a radical change in the way people spend their
money – such as GST exclusions, advertising or lack of advertising can
aid this change. Society will not be faced with such pressures of
unhealthy advertising to counter the efforts made, by a reduction of
prices. In the future, if this campaign runs successfully and
advertising of unhealthy foods is significantly reduced, it would enable
suggested solutions to work; a negative external influence would have
been taken out of the current situation.

The natural tendency to maintain general health embedded in human

beings is likely to influence the effectiveness of possible solutions.
Everyone holds some degree of self worth and because it is common
knowledge that obesity and inactivity can cause negative effects on
one’s overall well-being and even happiness, people are likely to
respond positively to various solutions, because ultimately they are
here to help, not to harm. Intuitively, we all want to feel good about
ourselves; internal influences formed innately will differ but everyone
cares to some degree what they are shoving in their mouth. Even
people who live on poor diets have a conscience letting them know
that too much food is not a good thing, but their diet is based on
other influences: tastes and feelings, habits and costs. Solutions that
reduce the impact of negative influences – such as high costs and lack
of resources (external influences), makes way for our innate desire to
do well for ourselves to over power. For example someone who is
currently living on a poor diet may decide to change their eating
habits for the better if a subsidy of fresh foods came in to play, not
merely because fresh food is now cheaper, but because the one
barrier preventing them from doing what they instinctively knew was
best for them has now been removed. This is not to say that if healthy
food had always been more accessible previously our “natural
instincts” would have led us to make healthy choices; in general,
human beings have always expressed unlearned preferences for fat-
associated textures and flavours. It is merely to say that embedded in
everyone is the desire to be happy and feel good about themselves,
hence maintaining good health.

Barriers

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Charlotte Riceman

Apathy of individuals (children and adults), and society in general may

act as a barrier to many of the solutions outlined in section E.
Undoubtedly there are people who lack concern for the issues raised
of obesity and inactivity, even apathy toward health in general. This
indifference is likely to be due to both a lack of knowledge, and due to
a general lack of interest and personal philosophies. Apathy will
mainly affect the first solution suggested – child and parental
education, due to the nature of educating. If community seminars
were organized and parental magazines put forward, it merely gives
parents an opportunity to learn but they are under no obligation to do
so. Consequently, if a general lack of interest toward obesity related
issues is implied then few will make an effort to “learn”, hindering the
potential effectiveness of the solution. This idea correlates to children
also, possibly limiting the effectiveness of teaching within schools and
practical physical education. As stated previously, “you can lead a
horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.”

The media and advertising is a significant part of the “external

influences component” and with current trends in advertising, it is
likely to act as a barrier, making it difficult for various solutions to be
successful. The Food and Nutrition Monitoring Report in New Zealand
shows that fast-food chains and cafes spent $67 million on
advertising, whereas only $6.2 million is spent advertising fruit and
vegetables. Along with increased intakes of foods high in fats and
“empty kilojoules” in the last two decades, advertising of unhealthy
foods has increased also. This is likely to act as a major hindrance if
further action relating to advertising is not taken, simply because
advertising works; and it definitely influences. It is even more of a
concern for children because before the age of twelve a child’s
cognitive development is limited and as a result they cannot
differentiate between the truth and advertising – (Section A).
Currently, the average household spent $6.50 a week on
confectionary over the past year, compared with $5.90 on fresh fruit.
Possible solutions such as price incentives has been suggested,
aiming to counter the previous statement however, if current
advertising trends continue then society may continue to make
unhealthy choices; the media is a powerful manipulator.

Financial means will largely determine the likelihood of solutions

working and whether they can even be instigated to begin with.
Because money is a scarce resource and unable to satisfy our
unlimited wants and needs, a lack of funds is likely to act as a major
hindrance to solutions. Many of the solutions suggested in section E
involve laws and policy changes involving money. These changes may
be costly to the taxpayer or other parties. For example, one possible

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solution was that the GST on healthy foods be removed, if this

strategy was put into place the Government’s overall revenue would
decrease. Consequently, the Government may react to this loss of
income by increasing other taxes, (e.g. Income tax.) Therefore, the
theoretical benefit of cheaper healthy food will now not be so because
income tax has risen at a rate that is in proportion to the decrease in
GST countering the benefits of the solution.

Enablers or barriers
Initiating new ideas often means using money that was previously
being used elsewhere. This can cause controversy, as people will
prioritise the various possible uses for money differently. For example,
if the Government were to subsidise sports clubs and funnel money
directly through to providing sports equipment then this money would
either have to come from one of two places. Firstly, taken out of
another area of spending or secondly, taxes and forms of Government
revenue would need to increase to accommodate for the increase in
Government spending. There are people who would agree with the
idea, as they either intrinsically or extrinsically feel that children’s
sport needs to be given more attention and improvements should be
made. This viewpoint – depending on the strength, will act as an
enabler, influencing the wider society that it is of importance.
However, others who will be opposed to the idea, their viewpoints
disagree with the solution and they too will influence wider society
shaping others’ views in a way that hinders the likelihood of the
solution working. Whether viewpoints act as an enabler or barrier is
often dependant on the status and power held in each group. Well-
recognized influential individuals, such as celebrities and people who
have political power hold a greater influence over controlling society’s
views than the average person. Therefore, the views of such
individuals will ultimately determine whether opinions act as an
enabler or barrier.

A negative example of the idea above is as below:

In 2003, The Labour party planned to bring in a health tax on fast

food. National Health Spokesperson Dr Lynda Scott believed that this
initiative showed that the Government had gone tax mad. "This tax is
patently ridiculous. If you eat any food in too high a quantity, you will
put on weight. 'It is people's choice what they eat without
Government interference. If the Government believes that people are

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eating too many burgers then regulation and taxation is not going to
reduce consumption.” This opinion no doubt influenced the public’s
views on the health tax idea to some extent. Although Scott does
make a fair point when she says, “It is people's choice what they eat
without Government interference” overall, her comment is irrational
and untrue. To suggest that “if you eat any food in too high a
quantity, you will put on weight” is absurd, as eating mass amounts of
a food item relatively low in kilojoules will not result in the gain of
weight. The consumption of 20 bananas equates to well under the
recommended daily intake of energy, however, people who take
Scott’s comment at it’s face value may now also believe that the
“Government has gone tax mad.” Hence, this situation would hinder
the possible effectiveness of solutions to reducing childhood obesity
and inactivity.

Conclusion:
“Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1
billion adults overweight - at least 300 million of them clinically obese
- and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease
and disability.” – (The world health organization) and unfortunately we
as New Zealanders, are contributors to these statistics. Contributors
sure, but are Kiwi kids becoming fat and lazy? Yes, I believe they are.
We may not rank alongside the Americans or the English, when it
comes to our children’s weight, but that does not make us healthy.
Being “better” than others, does not automatically mean “good”, we
can compare ourselves all we like, but the fact remains that
proportionally speaking, our children are getting fat.

Throughout this essay, I have covered various angles and views on

childhood obesity and inactivity. Many views and opinions may
contradict one another, though it remains in mutual agreement that
throughout New Zealand obese children do exist. While issues
surrounding obesity and inactivity remain controversial, it
undoubtedly grants some concern. Now that it has been established
that it is an issue, and awareness of the problem amongst society is
relatively high, it is vital that suggested solutions to the problem are
seriously considered.

The Ministry of Health estimates that poor diet contributes to 30% of

all deaths in New Zealand. If we want our children, and our children’s
children to live long contented lives then changes must occur,
because current trends suggest the contrary.

Ultimately, it comes down to the value we place on our lives, and

whether we are willing to change.

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Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other
time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that
we seek. - Barak Obama

Bibliography:

The following, are resources I used in writing this essay

Books:

 Year 13 Physical Education NCEA Level 3 Workbook

 Campos, P. (2004). The Obesity Epidemic: Why America’s

Obsession with weight is Hazardous to your Health.

 Death By Supermarket: The Fattening, Dumbing Down, and

Poisoning of America.

Websites:
 www.sparc.org.nz/admin/ClientFiles/f8119e6f-65ee-4492-8c6a-
7bbe8041cf35.pdf
 http://herbalremedies.freeblog.co.nz/2008/12/12/child-obesity-
effects-causes-and-solutions/

 www.walktoschool.org.uk/

 www.csmonitor.com/2004/1014/p11s02-ussc.html

 www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/magazine/22wwlnlede.t.html?
fta=y

 www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/obesity

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 www.nzma.org.nz/journal

 www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/Fighting-Obesity-While-
Sticking-to-Fast-Food-is-It-Possible-43078-1.htm

 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/size-matters-the-
great-british-weight-debate-462748.html

 www.stats.govt.nz/

 www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news

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