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Calls to stop selling junk food at sporting events to help curb obesity

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Sun, 8 Jul 2018, 3:35PM
Is junk food at sport matches contributing to our obesity epidemic? (Image / NZ Herald)
Is junk food at sport matches contributing to our obesity epidemic? (Image / NZ Herald)

Calls to stop selling junk food at sporting events to help curb obesity

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Sun, 8 Jul 2018, 3:35PM

There are calls to get junk food out of sports venues.

New research led by the University of Otago, Wellington looked at food sold at sporting events.

It found that 68 percent of food sold at netball venues and 62 percent sold at rugby venues was unhealthy.

Fizzy drinks, chocolate, chips and other fried foods were the most common foods sold.

Professor of Public Health, Louise Signal, says something has to change.

"We see lollies and fizzy and we should be replacing them with oranges and water," she says.

Signal is calling on the Ministers for Sport and Health to help sports club implement healthy nutrition policies.

"We have to make a change because our obesity epidemic amongst our children is very severe," she says.

"We've got a third of our kids overweight and obese, they're going to go on to struggle with their weight throughout their lives."

Signal says that while New Zealand has a high level of participation in sporting activities, which is really good for our health and wellbeing, "we don't want it to be undone by a diet of junk food."

 

 

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