Obesity scheme ‘disappoints’

Nutrition, weight and exercise levels of adults and children in communities targeted by a $40 million healthy families scheme are worse than the rest of New Zealand after more than three years.

Healthy Families New Zealand – described as a large-scale obesity prevention initiative – was rolled out in 10 communities around New Zealand by the National-led Government in 2014. Funds were used for projects like setting up community gardens and dropping sugary drinks from sports centres.

The coalition Government this year signed off new four-year Healthy Families NZ contracts worth $35.8 million. But a report by Massey University researchers has found little evidence of success in obesityrelated measures.

Drawing on national health data between 2011-12 and 2014-15, researchers compared progress for the combined Healthy Families NZ locations to the rest of New Zealand on eight health indicators.

They found results for children’s and adults’ nutrition, exercise and body weight in the 10 Healthy Families NZ locations combined were worse or no better than the rest of New Zealand.

Combined improvements were made on smoking use and exposure and harmful alcohol use in the Healthy Families NZ locations, compared with the rest of New Zealand.

Loosely modelled on Healthy Together Victoria, the initiative supported workplaces, schools and community organisations from the Far North to Invercargill to become healthier environments.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said a previous evaluation in 2017 found Healthy Families NZ was a ‘‘promising approach’’ to starting change at a local level.

Obesity expert Boyd Swinburn said the report showed ‘‘no real objective gain’’. ‘‘My guess is the Healthy Families NZ sites will be pretty disappointed.

‘‘There are lots of good stories but when you get to the hard data compared with the rest of New Zealand they’re not doing any better. In fact, they might be doing worse in some areas, especially child nutrition and obesity.’’

Swinburn said the Healthy Families NZ staff had been given Obesity expert Boyd Swinburn a very ‘‘hard ask’’ without any policy support by previous health ministers.

He strongly supported community based initiatives to prevent chronic disease but said they should be managed by district health boards, rather than the Ministry of Health.

‘‘I think, based on this evaluation, there’s a real opportunity to revisit this and work out what are the best ways of doing it.’’

A ministry spokesman said the new contracts reflected what had been learned from the first four years.

‘‘The new contracts reflect and align with international best practice evidence that supports a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to chronic disease prevention through locally driven action in settings that is sustained over the longer-term.’’

‘‘There are lots of good stories but when you get to the hard data compared with the rest of New Zealand they’re not doing any better.’’