What is Healthy Eating - Healthy Action?
Healthy Eating – Healthy Action (HEHA) is the Ministry of Health’s strategic approach to improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and achieving healthy weight for all New Zealanders.
About the HEHA network
The HEHA Network has been set up in response to stakeholder feedback and the need identified by Government to create better links across sectors to help achieve HEHA outcomes.
How was HEHA developed?
In December 2000 the Minister of Health launched the New Zealand Health Strategy. The New Zealand Health Strategy set the platform for the Government’s action on health. Thirteen population health objectives were identified; improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and reducing obesity were three of them.
HEHA Implementation Plan: 2004 – 2010
The Healthy Eating – Healthy Action: Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau: Strategy framework (HEHA Strategy) provides an integrated policy framework to bring about changes in the environment in which New Zealanders live, work and play as this relates to nutrition, physical activity and obesity. It is the Ministry’s response to three of the 13 priority population health objectives in the New Zealand Health Strategy
What is Healthy Eating – Healthy Action?
Healthy Eating – Healthy Action (HEHA) is the Ministry of Health’s strategic approach to improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and achieving healthy weight for all New Zealanders.
SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) are important partners in HEHA.
Improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, and reducing obesity are three of the thirteen health priorities identified in the New Zealand Health Strategy.
The Vision
An environment and society where individuals, families and whanau, and communities are supported to eat well, live physically active lives, and attain and maintain a healthy body weight.
Key Messages
- eat a variety of nutritious foods
- eat less fatty, salty, sugary foods
- eat more vegetables and fruits
- fully breastfeed infants for at least six months
- be active every day for at least 30 minutes in as many ways as possible
- add some vigorous exercise for extra benefit and fitness
- aim to maintain a healthy weight throughout life
- promote and foster the development of environments that support healthy lifestyles.
About the HEHA Network
Welcome to the HEHA Network.
The Network is new. It has been set up in response to stakeholder feedback and the need identified by Government to create better links across sectors to help achieve HEHA outcomes.
An independent group, the HEHA Network Collaborative (HNC), has guided the development of the network.
The work plan for the HNC included:
- Establish sustainable leadership and infrastructure for the Network - identify and build leadership and governance structures, membership and sustainable support structures.
- Constructing a HEHA on-line community - which includes the release of a static web site in September, with the inclusion of various databases/tools in October and then the development of an interactive online environment (Release 2).
- Foster Maori and Pacific participation in the HEHA Network - ensuring Maori and Pacific people guide the development of the network to meet their needs and aspirations.
- Build alignment across sectors - focusing particularly on the health target areas and transfer of best practice across HEHA members/sectors.
- Build links with HEHA initiatives - supporting the development of local HEHA networks and their effective linkage with the boarder network. Ensuring the HEHA network understands the needs of front line providers and responds to those needs.
How was HEHA developed?
In December 2000 the Minister of Health launched the New Zealand Health Strategy. The New Zealand Health Strategy set the platform for the Government’s action on health. Thirteen population health objectives were identified; improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and reducing obesity were three of them.
Healthy Action – Healthy Eating. Oranga Pumau – Oranga Kai: A draft for consultation. was published following reviews of relevant policy, services, programmes, literature, international strategies, epidemiology, and research; focus groups and forums.
Healthy Action – Healthy Eating. Oranga Pumau – Oranga Kai: A summary of feedback on the draft for consultation was published in 2002 following a consultation period and analysis of feedback. As a result of the feedback, the name of the strategy was altered to become Healthy Eating – Healthy Action. Many other changes were made following consultation.
Healthy Eating – Healthy Action. Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau: A Strategic Framework was published in 2003 following the consultation, and international and external peer review. The Strategy is a planning tool that outlines the key priorities and establishes a framework for addressing nutrition, physical activity and obesity.
Healthy Eating – Healthy Action. Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau: A Background provides the justification and evidence to support the Strategy.
A number of groups were involved in the development of the Healthy Eating – Healthy Action: Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau Implementation Plan 2004-2010. There was an external advisory group, an industry group, a government interagency group and an internal Ministry of Health steering group. The Implementation Plan has an outcome focus and outlines a set of actions to help us achieve the goals and vision of the Strategy. The reducing inequalities framework has guided the development of the Plan.
Healthy Eating – Healthy Action: Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau Implementation Plan: 2004 – 2010
Date of publication: June 2004
HP 3846
The Healthy Eating – Healthy Action: Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau: Strategy framework (HEHA Strategy) provides an integrated policy framework to bring about changes in the environment in which New Zealanders live, work and play as this relates to nutrition, physical activity and obesity. It is the Ministry’s response to three of the 13 priority population health objectives in the New Zealand Health Strategy (Minister of Health 2000).
This Implementation Plan is based on, and is an extension of, the HEHA Strategy and associated background paper.
Key points from the Strategy are provided in this document but the full text of the strategy and background paper should be referred to for a detailed analysis. The Implementation Plan has an outcome focus and provides a set of actions based on the HEHA Strategy. Evidence for action is presented. The reducing inequalities intervention framework has guided the development of this plan.
The Implementation Plan is currently under review and will be available in 2009.
Document availability
This publication is available in hard copy. To order a copy email moh@wickliffe.co.nz or call04 496 2277 quoting HP number 3846. Please let us know your name, your physical address and how many copies you would like.
This publication is also available below in PDF format.
Healthy Eating - Healthy Action: Implementation Plan: 2004 - 2010 (PDF, 397 kB)
Go to information about ordering and downloading publications
Related information
Physical activity in New Zealand
Obesity in New Zealand
Healthy Eating – Healthy Action. Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau: A background (March 2003)