Budget 2014: $40m for anti-obesity initiative

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As part of Budget 2014, the government has announced a new health initiative called Healthy Families NZ to tackle obesity. The aim of this initiative is to create a dedicated health promotion workforce in a specific and discrete number of high-risk communities. One of these communities is Lower Hutt.

In each community, a local provider will lead the program. It will recruit a dedicated health promotion workforce who will work with schools, early childhood education centres, workplaces and sport clubs to encourage and support people to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Healthy Families NZ is based on the highly successful Healthy Together Victoria program from Victoria, Australia. As a result of the program, children aged between four and 12 now, on average, weigh one kilogram less, have smaller waistlines, and can run for longer than children in nearby towns.