Fixing Food: How can we transform towards healthy, sustainable, equitable, prosperous food systems? Plus Belonging as an Aging Asian in Auckland
At the July monthly meeting the Ponsonby U3A, members were treated to an enlightened presentation by Professor Boyd Swinburn, Professor of Population, Nutrition and Global Health (University of Auckland), entitled Fixing Food - How can we transform towards healthy sustainable equitable prosperous food system?
Professor Boyd trained initially as an endocrinologist, undertaking research on the metabolic, clinical and public health aspects of obesity. His current focus addresses community and policy actions to encourage the consumption of healthy, sustainable equitable food systems. He leads the INFORMAS international initiative monitoring and benchmarking food environments in over sixty countries; co-chairs the Health Coalition Aotearoa and is a leader of New Zealand’s Ka Ora Ka Ako (Healthy School Lunch Programme) which currently provides nutritious lunches to 420,000 students.
After categorising Food Systems into four categories: Unprocessed, Processed, Combined unprocessed/processed and Ultra processed foods (UPF), Professor Boyd highlighted the dangers to health of UPF. The industry-led, profit-motivated drive to manufacture, publicise and distribute UPF throughout the world is contributing to increasing levels of obesity, weight gain, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, worsening mental health and early death. Twenty seven percent of New Zealand children currently experience food insecurity within the home. This is known to encourage greater consumption of UPF’s leading to reduced scholarly performance in mathematics, reading and science.
Techniques employed by the profit-driven food industry include making UPF’s more flavourful, to achieve the so-called ‘bliss point’ in flavour. Prime examples are sugar-based cola drinks and potato chips.
The overall increase in UPF consumption worldwide and its impacts on health are being recognised. Efforts are being made to control the international growth in consumption of UPF. This needs regulation, motivation and education. Professor Swinburn highlighted progress being made in Mexico, where support funding by the US-based Bloomburg Philanthropies has reduced the consumption of UPF, through introducing taxes on sugary drinks.
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