Posts Tagged ‘health’

1. What’s driving us to drink….and what are we drinking?

   Published on Monday, November 30th, 2009

   Recently I had the privilege of hearing one of my all time dietetic gurus, Linda Tapsell from Wollongong University, speak about how we relate to beverages.  Alongside her, Claire Richards from Coca-Cola Oceania shared some fascinating insights into New Zealander’s attitudes to drinking.  And Caryn Zinn expertly summarised issues on hydration in sport.

   When it comes to successfully encouraging people to make healthier beverage choices, each and every speaker stressed the importance of working with individuals, rather than making broad general recommendations such as “drink water and low fat milk”.

   What people expect and need from different beverages is extremely varied, which explained to me why it’s unrealistic to expect people to switch from one set of beverages (with similar attributes) to another set of beverages (with completely different attributes in the mind of the consumer). 

   For example, if you’re out for a good time with your mates you’re about as likely to order a glass of milk as you are to be wearing pyjamas.  What you want is a beverage that’s associated with socialising, not one that’s associated with, say health and nutrition.  There is a time and place for everything.

   Those underlying needs associated with certain life situations don’t change, but moving to a healthier option which addresses the same underlying need within the same situation is far more likely to work.  For example in the scenario described above, recommending that people order a diet soft drink if they’re watching their calorie intake, rather than a sugar containing soft drink, might actually be likely to work.

   That would be fine, were it not for another shocking fact I picked up at the same seminar: New Zealanders drink mostly tap water (nothing shocking in that), but the second most widely consumed beverage in New Zealanders (ranging from 12-69 years of age) is …wait for it….beer!  So in fact, most people in the above scenario will opt for a beer anyway!  Diet beer anyone?

   This sets my mind reeling at the calories we Kiwis must consume from alcohol.  It baffles me why all dietary energy sources do not require nutrition labelling and packaged alcoholic drinks are a long overdue candidate for this. 

   Thanks to the NZ Nutrition Foundation and Coca-Cola Oceania for making this event possible.  Linda and Caryn’s presentations should both be up on the Nutrition Foundation’s website shortly.

   

2. Helping kids buy from the school cafeteria – will ‘Big Brother’ tactics work?

   Published on Friday, August 21st, 2009

   A new computer system telling parents what their child has bought in the school cafeteria that day is being used in some American schools. The idea is that parents can make sure their children are making appropriate choices and spending their money wisely.

   In principle it sounds like a great idea but on the other hand, are we not depriving them of an opportunity to use their own decision making skills, in what would surely be a somewhat controlled environment?

   As with most things I guess it depends on how we put it into practice.  Food police parents are likely to be pretty vigilant at home and will aim to encourage the same at school.  Many would argue that the school cafeterias should not be offering ‘inappropriate’ food choices anyway.  But those children who want to beat the system will always find a way, whether it’s at school or elsewhere.

   At the other end of the scale there are the permissive parents who, given their more relaxed attitude are probably not going to worry too much anyway – at school or home.  And somewhere in the middle - my personal favourite - one hopes that common sense prevails.

   For younger children I am sure that it could be a useful tool to help them learn about making healthy food choices.  But as they get older surely we need to offer them the chance to make their own decisions?  Yes there will be some downsides but with a good foundation they will eventually realise that eating only treat foods isn’t all that fulfilling.

   I often wonder if parents of children who are growing rapidly are in fact offering sufficient high energy density foods to meet their needs.  A teenage boy for example can burn twice the energy of a sedentary adult male.  A desire for high energy snacks is just as likely to be due to a genuine need for energy in some as it is due to poor decision making in others.

   On the other hand we know from the national nutrition surveys that as children get older and begin to exercise more free will, the overall nutrient intake changes – and not usually for the good. In particular consumption of dairy, fruit and vegetables goes down.

   So what is the best way to encourage children to choose the right food and beverages at school?  Should we not be putting our energy into making sure what is on offer is appealing, tasty and good quality – nutritionally and aesthetically?

   

3. Why should foodies participate in the on-line space?

   Published on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

   A blog is just one of the many forms of social media that is having a profound influence on consumers’ attitudes, knowledge and ultimately consumption habits.  The more traditional mediums remain just as relevant and important but you ignore the on-line space and the new breed of influencers communicating within this space at your peril.

   Given the newness of this space to the business world and the rapid development of new social media platforms, the knowledge and skill level of people participating is wide and varied.  As qualified scientists, nutritionists and food industry experts we often find it challenging to accept the opinions of the new breed of influencers who are moving into this space.  But there is no question; their opinions are influential.

   It’s therefore even more important to jump in and get involved.  The on-line social media universe is really only in its adolescence and we know how difficult teenagers can be to understand. But when they do grow up into more mature adults the real benefits become apparent.

   There are also some new rules for interaction and for most people the best way to start out is simply to explore, participate, listen and learn.  I heard someone recently liken the rise of social media networks to the advent of the motor car.  When cars were new we all used to dress up and enjoy the journey, regardless of the destination.  Now that they’re an everyday necessity we see them as a means to an end.  So now’s the time to be enjoying your journey with social media – and you will be pleasantly surprised at what you discover.

   There are endless numbers of food-lovers blogs out there.  Some of the health and nutrition related ones we monitor regularly are listed on the blogroll to the right of the page, and some good local information sites can be found amongst the links.  Please feel free to post your own favourites in the comments box.  We’re especially keen to know more about other nutrition and health blog sites from within New Zealand.