Creating guilt not the answer to childhood obesity issue

17 December 2015

Creating guilt not the answer to childhood obesity issue.

Food education charity Garden to Table supports calls to remove guilt from the childhood obesity debate.

“The causes of the current childhood obesity crisis are many,” says Garden to Table Executive Officer, Linda Taylor. “Although helping to reduce obesity is not our only aim, The Garden to Table Trust believes that by increasing food literacy amongst children, there will be long term benefits to different aspects of their lives.

“Our aim is to tackle this at school by getting kids in to the garden and the kitchen, teaching them how to grow, harvest and prepare and enjoy their own food in a cost-effective way, and encouraging them to do the same at home.”

Figures released under the Official Information Act show the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) has spent $1.8million to date on the Big Change Starts Small campaign fronted by Valerie Adams. However there are concerns that the campaign’s ‘guilt’ message will fail to resonate with Maori and Pasifika communities.

Garden to Table currently works with 4,000 primary school children across the country and across all communities. “Growing and preparing good food benefits everyone,” says Garden to Table co-founder, food writer Catherine Bell. “It’s not about stigma or poverty, but about children, wherever they are, having fun and learning new skills that they can then share with their own communities.”

“Garden to Table days at schools are proving a hit,” says Mrs Taylor. “Principals tell us that they have the lowest absentee rates when the children are in the kitchen and garden, and many of the kids are now building small vegetable gardens at home. They are learning skills that will last them a lifetime and, of course, this will have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.”

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