New Zealand has long had a strong sporting
culture and boasts a number of the top athletes on the international stage.
This emphasis on sport is not only for an elite level, but also has a strong
influence within New Zealand schools. In fact the Labour party presented the
idea that physical education be a compulsory subject here.
With this in mind, it is difficult to
understand how New Zealand has one of the highest rates of obesity in the
world. Therefore with this investigation I am going to look at the other main
factor in the cause of weight gain, nutrition. My argument will be:
Nutrition should be a compulsory subject in all New Zealand secondary schools
New
Zealand is currently facing two major issues when it comes to nutrition in
schools. The first being the obesity epidemic that the country is facing. 28% of adults in New
Zealand are considered obese. Although smoking is currently the number one
cause of preventable death in New Zealand, that is likely to change as “obesity
looks likely to surpass smoking as the main risk factor for death and disease
in New Zealand within three years” (Radio New Zealand, 2013)
On the
other end of the scale, many New Zealand children are suffering from not having
enough food. Many teachers in New Zealand have showed their concern for the
amount of children going to school hungry. This can then lead onto children
struggling to focus on their schoolwork and puts their future at risk as explained
in this investigation.
In both
situations, obesity and malnutrition, can cause serious health issues.
The
major health risks
of obesity are well publicized across the media, with factors including heart
disease, type two diabetes and cancer. There are also less obvious implications
which sufferers of obesity encounter. Mental disorders are connected to obesity
including ADHD and depression. Obesity sufferers can also struggle with social issues through lack
of confidence, insecurities and low self-esteem. All of these issues combine to
threaten the well being of the general public, but their implications can wreak
havoc on the development of children.
Although
obesity too can be attributed with malnutrition, because people are eating the
wrong foods, which limits their nutritional intake, but there are also many children in New
Zealand going hungry. As with obesity, malnutrition can also threaten the
growth and potential of children. They are often left feeling low in energy,
which can decrease their brain function, including their memory capacity.
Malnutrition also damages a person’s immune system, which puts them at a
greater risk to other health issues such a pneumonia and tuberculosis.
There is
also concern over the medical bill this is costing the country. As previously
mentioned, there are a number of health risks associated with both obesity and
malnutrition. Although these affect individuals differently, they are also
costing the New Zealand taxpayers in general. Research completed at Auckland
University found that “obesity in New Zealand costs the country between NZ$722 million and
NZ$849 million a year in health care costs and lost productivity” (University
of Auckland, 2012). Because
of this being such a high cost, it demonstrates how much the country could save
in the long term if money is spent on prevention rather than treatment.
With
this in mind, it is clear that both of these health problems are serious issues
that need to be treated. Fortunately in most cases, both of these can be
preventable.
When it
comes to children in particular, they are not the ones choosing what food they
do or do not eat, instead their parent’s do it for them. “As a parent you have an
important role in shaping your child’s dietary habits. You can control what,
when and how your child eats, as well as being a role model” (New Zealand
Nutrition Foundation, 2009). One reason given for the poor nutrition is that parents are unaware of
what the right foods are to feed their children. Without the right education, parents are unknowingly
putting their children’s health at risk.
Cost is
also a huge contributing factor when it comes to nutrition in New Zealand. Without
the knowledge of how to prepare healthy meals, trying different options can be expensive and time
consuming. Therefore people tend to stick to the staple meals they are used to
making, which in turn continues their cycle of poor health. In order to improve
this situation there are eating programmes and classes to teach people
healthier cooking options, but these too cost in both money and time.
Because
of this situation, there is a need to teach people how to prepare healthier
options with a focus on affordability. As school is compulsory in New Zealand
up until the age of 16, by having nutrition as a school subject, it would mean
that everyone has the opportunity to learn about healthy eating without having
to take time out of their work schedule or pay any extra fees.
To
summarise, by having nutrition as a compulsory subject in New Zealand schools
would impact positively on not only individuals but also the general population
as well. With everyone having the chance to learn about how to have a healthy
lifestyle, we would be able to prevent the ever-increasing rise of obesity in
New Zealand. This would give individuals a better over-all quality of life
without the ailments that arise from poor eating choices and it would also cut
costs in the expensive medical bill New Zealand is currently paying to the
costs.
References
English, C. (2013, May 29). Obesity
crisis 2013: Is the American diet causing mental disorders [Web log post].
Retrieved from http://www.policymic.com/articles/45033/obesity-crisis-2013-is-the-american-diet-causing-mental-disorders
New Zealand Nutrition Foundation.
(2009). Maintaining a healthy body weight.
Retrieved September 28, 2013 from http://www.nutritionfoundation.org.nz/nutrition-facts/maintaining-a-healthy-bodyweight/children
Radio New Zealand. (2013). Obesity on track to be main health risk.
Retrieved September 28, 2013 from http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/216544/obesity-on-track-to-be-main-health-risk
Strauss, R. (2000). Childhood
obesity and self-esteem. Pediatrics, 105(1),
pp. 1-5. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/105/1/e15.full
University of Auckland. (2012). The cost of obesity. Retrieved September
28, 2013 from http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/news/template/news_item.jsp?cid=535144
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