Food Environments and Marketing

We need to make healthy food the easy choice

Auckland has a plentiful, nutritious food supply – so why do we have so many children and adults overweight, and some poorly nourished?

Because unhealthy food is everywhere - convenient, heavily promoted and often cheaper than healthy food. Many Aucklanders are time poor, resource poor or have limited understanding of the links between poor diet and health.

We consume more fast food and sugary drinks, fewer home cooked meals, more snacks and we’re confused about what’s good and what’s bad to eat – with misleading messages in the media and from marketers about what’s ‘healthy.’

The Picture

Aucklanders spent $2.6 billion on eating outside the home in 2012 – 30% more than in 2008.
One in 14 children have takeaways more than 3 times a week
Eating junk food once or more per week is linked to obesity
Nearly twice as many people live by a fast food outlet than by a grocer
Children in more deprived neighbourhoods are twice as likely to have a fast food outlet near their school.
Children in these neighbourhoods are four times more likely to be obese
Children eat 45% extra when exposed to food advertising
72% of the public want advertising of food and drink to children on TV to be reduced
Almost three-quarters of kids watch TV after dinner when restrictions to advertising to children don’t apply.

The Plan

Regulation for fewer fast food outlets over time, especially by schools – to reduce the saturation and availability
Local initiatives in schools, communities and groups to make healthy food cheaper and more available
Guidelines for schools and early childhood centres, workplaces and events so they can make good nutrition easier
Working with the people who make the food – manufacturers, suppliers or caterers – to improve its quality
Provide local communities with the information and the tools to decide what food outlets should be around them.