Plate of our Nation Report Summary

T W E N T Y T W ELVE

S U M M A RY R E PORT N E W Z E A L A N D

Food is my passion and my philosophy is simple – cook with love

and laughter. Ask any chef what the most rewarding part of the job is

and I think it will be hearing that you have inspired someone to cook

and try your food at home.

Over the past few years I’ve observed some saddening trends; we’ve

swapped fresh for fast, quality for convenience and our knowledge

of food and cooking skills is in decline. With more technology in

our lives we are becoming less active. Combine this with more

demanding and stressful lifestyles and New Zealand is simply not

giving food and mealtimes the respect they deserve.

It’s time for us to take action and turn this around. Together with

contributions from a variety of experts from differing backgrounds

and approaches, I am delighted to lead the Weight Watchers’ Plate of our Nation movement, to rally the nation and positively influence

this issue and the growing obesity epidemic in this country.

* University of Otago and Ministry of Health. 2011. A Focus on Nutrition: Key findings of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Wellington: Ministry of Health.** Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation Project, May 2012

PETE EVANS Renowned Chef

and health advocate

You only have to switch on the television or open a newspaper to

understand that obesity is one of the greatest health issues facing

the developed world today; more than half of all New Zealanders are

either overweight or obese.*

The impact obesity has on our health, life-expectancy and quality

of life is substantial; for the first time, the next generation will have a

shorter life expectancy than the one that lived before them.** The

situation seems dire, but the good news is it’s entirely preventable.

As a leader in weight management we want to take a bold stand and

help lead New Zealand to a healthier future. We are delighted to

announce the launch of Plate of our Nation; a social movement that

will put our attitudes to food and exercise under the microscope in a

bid to get our nation healthy again.

We are putting our experience and scientific research behind Plate of our Nation to affect real change. This movement will begin with

consumer research outlined in this summary report, giving a real

insight into our attitudes, beliefs and values in relation to the obesity

crisis. The research confirms how gradual changes in the way we

eat, move and live our lives, have crept up on us over the last fifty

years, however New Zealanders are not completely aware of this.

Armed with this knowledge, we want to spark debate and

give New Zealanders a voice on the nation’s future. We want

Kiwis to throw their social weight – in other words use their

Facebook and twitter connections - and discuss the issue on

www.plateofournation.co.nz. Everyone can have their say because

we truly believe that the public can collectively help us create

positive solutions and changes among New Zealand families

and homes.

This journey to a healthier future is just starting and we want

everyone to get involved.

JOSEPH SAADManaging Director

Weight Watchers Australasia

PAG E 2

PAG E 3

More than 1,000 New Zealanders* were questioned on everything

from food choices and knowledge, cooking skills, body image,

activity levels, generational differences, impact of technology,

work and lifestyle, together with the many other factors that have

contributed to this obesity issue.

For this unique and rigorous research piece, we consulted with,

and received analysis and interpretation from a number of relevant

experts:

• Pete Evans, Renowned Chef and health advocate

• Martha Lourey-Bird, Exercise Scientist

• Anna Peeters, President, Obesity & Population Health Expert,

Baker IDI

• Sarah Hanrahan, Nutritionist, NZ Nutrition Foundation

• Emma Stirling, APD and Weight Watchers Nutrition Advisor

• Dr Cindy Nour, Clinical Psychologist

• Kathleen Alleaume, Independent Exercise Physiologist

and Nutritionist

• Tara Diversi, Behavioural Change Expert

• Jeff Lack, Stylist and Fashion Expert

• Philip Cox, Architect

• Joy Evans, Pete Evans’ mum

The findings of the Weight Watchers Plate of our Nation research

are undeniable. The nation’s obesity problem has not happened

overnight, it is something that has slowly deteriorated, with subtle

changes in New Zealand’s everyday habits and behaviours. A steady

increase in the size of plates, the amount of hours per day spent

being active and the fact that technology is all-pervading, has lead to

a society that is largely sedentary, and one that has lost touch with the

value of fresh food and the importance of savouring mealtimes. Most

worryingly, it is the younger generation that is most at risk.

This report marks out four key issues uncovered by the research:

1. Impact of Obesity: New Zealand’s lack of recognition of the

reality of the obesity issue

2. 21st Century Lifestyle: New Zealanders are busier than ever

before, but increasingly sedentary. The basic equation of

energy in, energy out isn’t adding up

3. Food Values: New Zealanders know what they eat affects

their health, but many simply do not realise the importance of

how they eat

4. Cooking Skills: The knowledge of food and appreciation for

cooking is fast disappearing

Weight Watchers is committed to helping all New Zealanders reach

a healthy weight range. With Plate of our Nation, the aim is to

complement and build on recent Government efforts to encourage

our nation to make healthy lifestyle choices.

In July 2012 Weight Watchers commissioned multi-layered research as part of the Plate of our Nation movement.

* Weight Watchers has grouped the 1,000 New Zealanders surveyed into generations. These are outlined as: • Generation Z – New Zealanders born from the 1990s onwards • Generation X&Y – New Zealanders born between 1960 and 1990 • Baby Boomers – New Zealanders born between 1940 and 1960 • Silent Generation – New Zealanders born between 1920 and 1940

A B O U T T H E P L AT E O F O U R N AT I O N R E S E A R C H

The majority of New Zealanders are obese and overweight, but oblivious to the reality of the issue.Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980 and more

than 1.4 billion adults globally are overweight.* In New Zealand, 37%

are overweight and 27.8% obese.

New Zealand opinions on obesity seem to be split by generation.

17% of Generation Z believe that being overweight is unavoidable

while 34% believe seeing overweight people on TV makes it seems

normal. In addition, 39% believe the Government should take

responsibility for the obesity crisis.

The Silent Generation is more vocal on the issue of obesity; over two

thirds view obesity as a critical issue for New Zealand. Interestingly,

65% believe being overweight is the fault of the individual and

only 17% believe the Government should take responsibility for the

obesity crisis.

New Zealand healthcare and medical professionals also continue

to voice their concern with regards to the levels of obesity in New

Zealand, as the effects of obesity are not just limited to the impact on

the body. Several studies have found excess weight to be linked with

depression and other measures of psychological distress. In fact,

once a person reaches the 100kg mark, they begin to rate certain

lifestyle aspects - friends, travel, body image - as less important

than those who are at a healthy weight.

* World Health Organisation, Overweight and Obesity Key Fact Sheet, May 2012

“The effect of obesity can be quite profound and people can often become depressed and experience low self esteem, which can lead to disengaging from others and rating friendships as not so important.”

Dr Cindy Nour, Clinical Psychologist

PAG E 4

I M PA C T O F O B E S I T Y

Base: New Zealand Population, n=1,203



What is New Zealand’s current weight?

Importance in LifeHow important is health, weight and body image to New Zealand?

8%8%13%18%19%20%11%4%

Over 110kgs100-109kgs

90-99kgs80-89kgs70-79kgs

60-69kgs50-59kgsLess than 50kgs

Body Image

24%Weight

37%Health

74%

Total New Zealand Over 100kgs

54%

74%

26%

24%

24%

48%

69%

20%

17%

17%

FRIENDS

EDUCATION

TRAVEL

BODY IMAGE

SPIRITUALITY

New Zealanders seem to have forgotten one of life’s basic equations;

balancing healthy nutritious food, including plenty of fresh fruit

and vegetables, together with physical activity. Instead the nation

is over fuelling and underusing their energies, all contributing to

an unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, only a third of New Zealanders eat

because they are hungry while 42% will continue eating until they

are overfull.

Today technology does much of the work for us at work and at

home. The result is that New Zealanders spend more time sitting.

This is in direct comparison to older generations who used to burn

off energy throughout the day including walking to work or hand

washing clothes. Even with obesity at alarming levels it is clear

New Zealanders do not understand what it takes to burn off energy

in today’s society. Only 15% of the day is spent being active with

almost one in five New Zealanders saying they have no motivation

to exercise and another one in five saying they are just too lazy.

Compounding this problem is high calorie food, which is much

more readily available then fifty years ago. What was once viewed

as a treat is now available in any convenience store.

This could explain why 70% claim to eat for pleasure rather than

for survival and more than three quarters of the population eat

treats on a weekly basis.

A lack of knowledge on health and exercise and living a far less active lifestyle is affecting New Zealand’s health.The life of the average New Zealander in the 21st Century has become increasingly sedentary. On any given day, less than half of New

Zealanders do some form of exercise. This is compared to more than eight in 10 New Zealanders who had time to watch television or use

the Internet or a computer.

“Less than half of New Zealanders are as active as they should be and what we really need to appreciate is that food is fuel and it is there to be used.” Martha Lourey-Bird, Exercise Scientist

PAG E 6

T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y L I F E S T Y L E

Snickers Bar Can of Coke

Too overweight I’m too lazyDon’t enjoy it I’m too stressed



Reality figures denote actual time taken to burn off. Actual time calculated using Weight Watchers ProPoints and how many minutes of vigorous walking it takes to earn the same amount of ProPoints

No motivation

Sausage roll2 glasses of wine Handful of peanuts

85% OF THE TYPICAL DAY IS

SPENT INACTIVE

ON AN AVERAGE DAY, ONLY 42% OF NEW ZEALANDERS

EXERCISE COMPARED TO 87%

WHO WATCH TV

42 %OF NEW ZEALANDERS WILL CONTINUE TO EAT UNTIL

THEY ARE OVERFULL

64.3mins

61.5mins

53.7mins

59.3mins

34.4mins

120mins

60mins

150mins

130mins

120mins

12%22% 20%4% 4%

77% 38% 19%54% 34% 22%

53% 30% 16%44% 26%

CHOCOLATE SOFT DRINK PANCAKES

CHIPS CHEESE POPCORN

BISCUITS NUTS CURED MEATS

LOLLIES CRACKERS

How many minutes of exercise does it take to burn off the kilojoules in these foods?

What do New Zealanders eat for pleasure?

What are the main reasons New Zealanders do not exercise more often?

Per

cep

tion

Rea

lity

The nation’s obesity problem didn’t happen overnight and one of

the key changes over the past 50 years is the size of New Zealand’s

meals. Not only have plate sizes increased by 30%, but 41% of New

Zealanders also believe serving sizes were smaller growing up.

Furthermore, 47% also believed dinners were healthier growing up.

While increased portion sizes are not the sole contributor to New

Zealand’s obesity issue, large quantities of food have distorted

the nation’s perception of what a typical meal is supposed to look

like. What is interesting is that 77% of New Zealanders still finish

everything on their plates but 82% do not see the link between the

increase in portion size and gaining weight.

The cost of living is also impacting value of food with New Zealanders

choosing quantity over quality with 64% believing that it is more

expensive to buy healthier food.

Combine this with New Zealand’s busy 21st Century lifestyles

distracting the country from enjoying meals and the relative worth

of food is vanishing fast. 80% of New Zealanders do something

else while they eat, such as reading, texting or working. In fact, the

nation is eating fewer meals at the dinner table. As children, 100%

of the Silent generation ate dinner at the table, now only 46% of

Generation Z does. Worryingly, 39% of New Zealand eats dinner on

the sofa and one in ten of Generation Z eat dinner in the bedroom.

New Zealand’s value of food is diminishing. New Zealanders know what they eat affects their health, but many simply do not realise the importance of how they eat.

“With so much focus on size meaning ‘value’, we’ve entered a dangerous cycle. Plate size has now taken control of our rising culture of eating out and the idea of a normal serving size is no longer there.” Kathleen Alleaume, Independent Exercise

Physiologist and Nutritionist

PAG E 8

F O O D VA L U E S

What proportion of food is normally on New Zealand’s dinner plate?



Breads, cerals, rice, pasta, noodles

Fruit

Vegetables

Meat, fish, poultry, other seafood and eggs

Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese etc.)

30.5%20.2%

What else do New Zealanders typically do while eating dinner?


Watch TV with some attention

Watch TV with full attention

Look at phone - using facebook, sending

text messages

Look at iPad/tablet device - watching video or reading

articles

59% 7% 4%11%

3.4%

5.5%40.5%

GENERATION Z EAT THE LEAST

VEGETABLES (35.1%) AND THE

MOST CARBS (26.0%)

How many have vegetables in their evening meal eaten at home?

AMOR LATER

9:00 34% 40%Gen Z Slient GenerationVS

21% OF GEN Z EATS

BREAKFAST AFTER

While 13% of Generation Z agrees that they do not cook because

they do not know how to, one in four also cite time as a key issue,

whether they arrive home too late or believe that cooking is too

time consuming. Interestingly, 12% simply believe cooking is an

unpleasant task.

The appreciation for cooking has traditionally been passed down

from one family member to another, with cooking playing a central

role in the home. Teaching the nation how to create cooking

and eating routines that focus on a variety of healthy and fresh

ingredients is still critical. However, 54% of the country does not feel

confident about teaching others about healthy foods.

Interestingly while only 17% of New Zealanders say media and

advertising influences them on what they eat, the rise in popularity

of cooking and healthy eating shows suggests otherwise. Cooking

shows like My Kitchen Rules have helped the country re-ignite its

passion for cooking and aids in the education of healthy eating. It

seems, however, New Zealanders are still lacking in hands-on

experience.

While the nation understands that healthy food can be delicious,

66% know cooking and eating healthier food takes planning. This

trend is also clear when it comes to fresh ingredients; only 22% of

New Zealanders will use fresh ingredients on a daily basis compared

to 71% of the country preferring to pick the easy option and use pre-

prepared ingredients at home.

This decline in using fresh ingredients in every day meals is

starting to be reflected in the decline in young New Zealand’s

general knowledge about nutritious and fresh foods. One in three of

Generation Z do not know where a pumpkin is grown compared to

mere 12% of the Silent Generation, and only 76% of Generation Z can

identify a leek compared to 99% of the Silent Generation.

New Zealand’s knowledge of food and appreciation for cooking is disappearing fast.New Zealand’s busy lifestyles are making what to eat and cook less of a priority, especially for the younger generation. Although over half of

the nation cooks dinner at home up to five nights a week, 48% of New Zealanders agree that young people do not know how to cook.

PAG E 1 0

“The key to good nutrition is knowledge. A lack of knowledge means a lack of confidence. And if we’re not confident about what we’re cooking then we won’t prepare nutritious food for ourselves or our kids.” Kathleen Alleaume, Independent Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist

C O O K I N G S K I L L S

53%OF GENERATION Z

CONSIDER HEATING CHICKEN NUGGETS

TO BE COOKING

Why does Generation Z not cook/not cook more often?

How much influence does each of the following have on what New Zealanders eat today?

YOUR PARENTS COOKING SHOWS+ The media + Advertising

22% 17%




16%20% 16% 11% 13%

I arrive home too late

I’m busy with after-school

activities/I have social plans

I don’t know how to cook many meals

It’s too time consuming

I don’t know how to cook

38%OF GENERATION Z CONSIDER PREPARING TWO MINUTE

NOODLES COOKING

OF GEN Z BELIEVES HEALTHY FOOD IS NOT AS DELICIOUS AS

LESS HEALTHY FOOD.

30%UP TO

R E S E A RCH R E PORT N E W Z E A L A N D

For more information about Plate of our Nation and Weight Watchers please contact:

Katie WaltonSpark PR and Activate

Level 2, 14 Normanby Road, Mt EdenAuckland 1025 New Zealand

09 638 [email protected]

Published by Weight Watchers Australasia October 2012

©Weight Watchers Australasia 2012

Care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. Please contact Weight Watchers Australasia if you have any concerns. For more information on Plate of our Nation and Weight Watchers go to:

www.plateofournation.co.nz or www.weightwatchers.co.nz

About the Research

The Plate of our Nation study report was conducted among 1,203 New Zealanders aged 15 – 74 years between Friday 31 July and Monday 6 August 2012. The study was conducted online amongst members of a permission-based panel.

The research was conducted by Jigsaw Strategic Research, who partnered with GMI for this study – a global provider that is adheres to the ESOMAR guidelines.

Plate of our Nation Report Summary

Education

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