Rise in obesity rates in school children reverses promising preschool trend
Source: Auckland Regional Public Health Service
Auckland’s level of obesity in under-fives has continued to fall for the third year in a row but new data indicates
children are putting on excess weight in their school years.
While Before School Checks in 2016 recorded that a smaller percentage of the city’s four year olds were obese, other
data showed this rate had increased for children aged up to 14 years.
The Healthy Auckland Together coalition has released its third monitoring report looking at levels of physical activity,
weight and nutrition in the region’s population and whether our local environments and institutions are supporting
healthy behaviour.
Coalition spokesperson Dr Michael Hale says measures like limits on screen time, encouraging physical play and healthy
lunchbox policies seem to be keeping more pre-schoolers at a healthy weight.
"However in the primary and secondary school years, we see a decline in the influence of parents, the pull of unhealthy
food outside the home, and long hours spent watching screens. This is apparent in the rise in the levels of overweight
and obese children up to the age of 14 years," he says.
The average weight of these children was 1.8 kilos heavier in 2017, at 35.7kg, compared with 2011, when the average was
33.9kg.
The steady increase in excess weight continues into adulthood, with one in three adults obese in the region in 2017. The
higher rates of obesity in people living in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation in the city point to many causes.
"Although economic and family stresses contribute to obesity, poorer neighbourhoods themselves can nudge people towards
unhealthy behaviours.
"We know that suburbs with high socioeconomic deprivation have a greater concentration of fast food outlets compared
with fruit and vegetable shops," Dr Hale says.
The data from checks of almost 80,000 children’s teeth show those living in the poorest neighbourhoods are 12 times more
likely to have the worst oral health. While it is likely that excess sugar consumption is largely responsible, the low
prices, high availability and heavy marketing of sugary products encourage this, Dr Hale says.
Poorer suburbs often have limited public transport and the city has many streets with busy traffic that feel less safe
for walking and biking. As a result, residents have little choice but sit in their cars for long distances.
There are some suburbs with the space but not the sports and recreation infrastructure to support physical activity.
Auckland Council’s recently announced $120 million Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund is certainly needed
to ensure all children are able to participate, Dr Hale says.
Another indicator of declining physical activity is a further drop in the number of children going to school by foot,
bike, scooter or skateboard. While more children in high socioeconomic deprivation areas were previously active getting
to school, at 56 percent in the years 2011 to 2014, they are now being dropped at the gates at similar rates to all
other children. In the years 2014 to 2017 only 43 percent of these children travelled to school actively.
Children at school, especially secondary school, often have unhealthy food available in the tuckshop and in vending
machines. Only half of primary schools and 11 percent of secondary schools have water only policies or restrict sales of
high fat, high sugar food in the tuck shop.
"The curriculum does teach about healthy nutrition, but then we ask children to sell chocolate as fundraisers," Dr Hale
says. Healthy Auckland Together would like to see schools required to follow healthy food and drink guidelines and be
given support so these are implemented.
Massey Primary School principal Bruce Barnes says a water only policy has made a noticeable change in lunch boxes. "Now
100 percent of students who used to bring sugary drinks to school are now opting for their water bottle," he says.
Unfortunately obese children are more likely to become obese adults, as it is very hard to lose weight, says Dr Hale.
"This is made more difficult as physical exertion is being eliminated from our jobs, our commuting and our leisure."
Obesity is now the greatest risk driving death and disability in New Zealand, surpassing tobacco.
Healthy Auckland Together has a five year plan to improve the city’s food, urban, school, work and transport
environments so it is easier for all children and adults to eat better and be active.
The monitoring report is available at http://www.healthyaucklandtogether.org.nz/reports/monitoring-report-2018
Healthy Auckland Together is a coalition which includes Auckland Regional Public Health Service, Auckland Council,
Auckland Transport, New Zealand Transport Authority, the Ministry of Health, the three District Health Boards, the Heart
Foundation, Hapai Te Hauora, Toi Tangata, Aktive - Auckland Sport & Recreation, University of Auckland’s School of Population Health, Iwi, Healthy Families New Zealand, primary health
organisations and other NGO and consumer groups.
ENDS