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If everyone adopted the diet recommended by the New Zealand Food and Nutrition Guidelines, the impact on health would be equivalent to the total elimination of smoking. Physical inactivity is associated with 8%of all deaths, accounting for around 2,000 deaths per year.
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Mission
To increase the levels of physical activity and improve the nutrition of the Partnership Health Canterbury community. |
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Why make physical activity and nutrition a health promotion priority?
- One third of New Zealanders are not physically active enough to benefit their health
- Physical inactivity is second only to smoking as a modifiable risk factor for poor health
- Physical activity has a beneficial effect on many diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular disease, some cancers, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, falls in older people, mental illness, stress, asthma, smoking and pregnancy
- Nutrition plays a major role in the three leading causes of death in New Zealand: cardiovascular disease, strokes and cancer
- Nutrition is also important in the prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, dental decay, osteoporosis, and some gastrointestinal diseases
- More than 1,000 people die each year from obesity-related health problems - more than half the population is obese or overweight, and rates of obesity are higher in the Maori and Pacific populations
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ACHIEVEMENTS
One-third of all New Zealanders do not do enough physical activity to benefit their health, and two out of every five deaths in New Zealand are caused by nutrition-related risk factors.
Physical Activity and Nutrition is a core focus of our health promotion activities in the 2007/08 year. Achievements in this area include:
Green Prescription
Supporting the Sport and Recreation New Zealand initiative Green Prescription (GRx) – an exercise referral programme which helps individuals build regular, health-restoring activity into their daily lifestyles. Over 26,000 people have been referred for support and advice through phone calls and GRx Clubs. Those who benefit most are those with conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity or arthritic conditions.
Appetite For Life
Appetite for Life (AFL) was developed as a six-week programme for women motivated to make lifestyle changes to prevent weight gain, lose weight and/or develop healthy eating and physical activity habits. See Resources Sidebar on this page for more details.
Canterbury Active Communities Programme
This programme makes it easier for health professionals to provide information on physical activity to their clients. The strategies were developed after surveys undertaken by SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) showed that people have a high degree of trust in the information they receive from medical professionals.
Healthy Heart Award
This National Heart Foundation programme assesses the nutrition standards and physical activity programmes of individual centres. Once the centre has passed a total of seven modules they receive their Award. Our support has meant that there are now 94 Canterbury centres enrolled in the scheme.
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