Providers:

Newsletter December 2004

Hello and welcome to the latest WellChild /Tamariki Ora Week update for 2004 and the last for the year.

As Christmas fast approaches this is just a brief note from me before the year ends.

The Steering Committee have been busy and for 2005 we have decided that we would really like to focus on healthy eating.

We have therefore come up with one simple message that we would like you to promote in your WellChild /Tamariki Ora activities next year and in particular during WellChild /Tamariki Ora Week

Colourful Eating

A full explanation of this will follow so keep reading….
Of course you can have your own additional local messages that are important to your community but this is the one we would like to focus the week on.

In the new year we will be busy collating resources to help you promote this theme and establishing a national network of experts to assist locally and preparing some media stories and research to support the ideas.

The system of minigrants will also be running in 2005 as previously but with a definite emphasis on the chosen theme.

The application forms for these grants should be attached to this update and will also be posted on the web later this month.

Web site
We have added some new links recently
Check it out and give us feedback. www.wellchild.org.nz

Immunisation Issues

Currently there are still 2 really important immunisation issues around for New Zealand’s children

1. The Whooping cough epidemic is here and growing…. please promote the Pertussis immunisation whenever you can – better late than never.
   
2. We need to be ensuring that all our children , especially the high risk Maori and Pacific Island group , are immunised against Meningococcal B when the vaccine arrives in their area – and remember the need to have all 3 doses for full protection.
   Please also remember all children are at risk , some are at higher risk!!!

Enjoy the months ahead planning for the next fun filled active WellChild/Tamariki Ora Week – I will be in touch again in the New Year

Marguerite Dalton, WellChild /Tamariki Ora Week Coordinator.

Colourful eating

– to encourage consumption of five servings of vegetables and fruit each day.

Background
The Children’s Nutrition Survey¹ showed that over half of New Zealand children eat less than the recommended two servings of fruit and one third eat less than the recommended three servings of vegetables each day.

In New Zealand the number of deaths attributed to not eating enough vegetables and fruit is 1559 per year².

Why colourful?
Vegetables and fruit are high in vitamins, antioxidants and hundreds of health protecting compounds, which are called phytochemicals. Colourful vegetables and fruit (i.e. green, red, orange, yellow and purple) have the highest content of these protective substances.

Benefits

• Vegetables and fruit help reduce the risk of some major lifestyles diseases e.g. cancer and heart disease.
  
• If children get used to eating vegetables and fruit when they are young, they will be more likely to carry this eating habit through to adulthood.
  
• Vegetables and fruit may displace energy dense (high fat/sugar foods) in children’s diets and so help prevent the development of overweight and obesity.
  
• Vegetables and fruit are high in vitamin C, which helps with the absorption of iron from plant based foods.
  
• Beta-carotene the orange/red pigment in vegetables and fruit can be converted by the body into vitamin A. Some New Zealand children have lower levels of vitamin A.

Key Vegetable and fruit messages

• Aim for five servings* each day.
  
• Go for a range of colours – red, orange, green, yellow, purple.
  
• Fresh, frozen and canned are all good choices.

*Generally, a serving is what can fit in the palm of the child’s hand.

¹Ministry of Health. NZ Food NZ Children: Key results of the 2002 National Children’s Nutrition Survey. Wellington; Ministry of Health: 2003.