The 2013/2014 New Zealand Health Survey found that one in three New Zealand children is overweight or obese. It also found that children living in the most deprived areas were three times as likely to be obese than children living in the least deprived areas. This may show that many of today’s children are not being properly fed with healthy food that is rich in vitamins and minerals. Overweight children could also be malnourished because they get too much food that is nutrient-poor but high in calories, such as takeaways and junk foods. 

One cause of children being overweight but undernourished is the assumption that eating an abundance of calories (i.e. lots of food) means that your diet automatically delivers enough nutrients to your body. In actuality, the more processed food a person eats, then the more vitamins they need. 

Overweight children are more likely to be overweight as an adult. Being overweight at any stage in life presents a higher risk of developing increased blood pressure, diabetes or heart problems. Overweight children run the risk of having asthma and breathing problems during sleep, liver disease, and problems with bones, joints and muscles. If children don’t consume nutrient-rich food, they have a higher risk of health problems such as pneumonia, middle ear infections and anaemia. A lack of nutrients can also affect the child’s ability to learn, and therefore their academic future.  

Determining whether your child is overweight or obese is difficult, since every child grows at different rates and at different stages. It is easy to determine if a child is extremely obese, but many parents may not know if their child is overweight. Making sure your child is well nourished comes down to feeding them a balanced diet, combined with an active lifestyle.

Here are some ideas to encourage and establish healthy habits:

Find ways for your children to be active for about an hour per day. Make it fun and get active with them, to motivate them and make it an enjoyable part of their day!

Limit their time in front of the TV, consoles and computers to a maximum of two hours per day, to give them more time to be active.

Help them to eat healthy, nutrient-rich snacks. Chop fresh fruit, vegetables and low fat cheese. Try fruit smoothies, low-fat yoghurt, hard-boiled eggs, low-sugar baking, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. Limit their intake of chips, biscuits, fried foods and fizzy drinks by giving them just one small junk food item per day, e.g., a snack-sized bag of chips.

Aim to make up their meals with half the plate containing fruit or vegetables, quarter with foods like potatoes, bread or rice, and quarter with protein-rich foods such as meat or fish.

Offer them plenty of water and low fat milk to drink.

Consider supplements designed to boost your child’s immunity and nutritional support (especially important for your fussy eaters). 
If your child’s weight is a concern to you, a doctor, registered dietitian or nutritionist are great contacts for advice and support.

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