New Zealand Diet and Nutrition Survey - new expert quotes and fact box

A comprehensive nutrition survey has revealed more about what New Zealanders are eating - and how it is affecting our health.

Today saw the release of the 2008-2009 Adult Nutrition Survey (NZANS) from the Ministry of Health - the first of its kind since the 1997 National Nutrition Survey was carried out.

In addition to the previous analysis and commentary on the survey collected by the SMC (now available on the website), please find below a 'Fact Box' summary of findings for quick reference and use in reporting.

We have also gathered commentary from one of the lead researchers behind the survey, available below.

Results from the survey, by Otago University and Health Ministry researchers, will be used by policymakers, and will help develop Government food and nutrition guidelines. They may also be used in monitoring diabetes, developing food standards, and watching changes in the food supply.

NUTRITION FACTBOX

Details of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey (NZANS) -- in which the Ministry of Health and Otago University researchers collected information from 4721 New Zealanders aged 15 years and over -- were released for the first time on September 15, 2011.

The report, A Focus on Nutrition, provided many comparisons with the 1997 National Nutrition Survey and information will be used to develop nutrition guidelines and help policymakers. Key points included:

GOOD NEWS -

• Since 1997, the contribution saturated fat made to total energy intake dropped
• Mean daily energy intakes by men dropped to 10.7 megajoules (2479 calories) from 12 megajoules in 1997
• The contribution made by total fat to energy intake fell1.7 percentage points, to 33.7 percent over the 12 years
• Total blood cholesterol levels dropped 10 percent in men and women
• More people are eating the recommended daily two servings of fruit
• Intakes of Vitamin B6 and the trace mineral selenium improved

BAD NEWS

• Obesity among men jumped from 17 percent to 27.7 percent in 12 years
• Mean weight of adults rose over 5 percent to 85.1kg (men) and 72.6kg (women)
• Most New Zealanders surveyed did not meet the recommendations for calcium intake
• The proportion of women with iron deficiency more than doubled from 1997
• One in four people surveyed had an inadequate intake of zinc
• Prevalence of iron deficiency in women jumped from 2.9 percent to 7.2 percent
• Since 1997 the percentage of households with low food security more than doubled, and the proportion of food-secure households dropped 25 percent
• Nearly 7 percent of New Zealanders have diabetes, but over quarter of them don't yet know it

Prof Winsome Parnell, an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, was the Nutrition Director for the survey. She provided the following comments on the survey results:

"The public should be re-assured that the Ministry of Health funded this survey. This research will provide a great deal of baseline data that will be picked up by nutritionists and other academics. It will inform future policy making and scientific research.

"We didn't actually do this nutrition survey specifically to document obesity - because that is done well in health surveys - and it merely underpins concerns that we have had for a considerable time.

"In terms of obesity, the different ethnic groups experience overweight and obesity differently - that's a much bigger influence than the level of deprivation. Though the index of deprivation does show that women, more so than men in the most deprived areas, are more likely to experience overweight and obesity.

"The data has enable us to look clearly at what is happening across age groups. If there is any area of concern, it is the (energy) intakes of younger people.

"We have not done statistical comparisons between ethnic groups. The Ministry (of Health) plans to do those in the future. The socio-economic distribution of population is different for different ethnic groups. Initial analyses have not untangled those two to show whether one is more or less important than the other, but future analyses will do that. It is clear that obesity is higher among the Maori and Pacific groups, than the New Zealand European and other ethnic groups (NZEO). But if you look at change over time, it is the NZEO where you can see a marked increase in rates of obesity.

"The survey marked an imbalance related to energy intake but did not measure energy expenditure or show whether intake or physical activity is more important.

"There were some things I hadn't expected to see, such as the lower vitamin A levels.

"We had suspected that the iodine status was low, but this was the first time that we had a look at the whole population, and as we found with (earlier studies of) the children, it was not ideal. But some things have been put in place and this type of data will help us check that adding iodised salt to bread is effective.

"It was interesting that older people were more likely to routinely take nutritional supplements. This may be because they are prescribed supplements, and older people take more oils promoted as good for joint health.This was the first survey where we have noticed such a high intake of those, and we acknowledge that they are highly promoted.

"Young people are more likely to use supplements episodically. They try multivitamins, often because they say it"s better than worrying about their diet. There is an attitude out there that nutritional deficiencies can be made up by supplements or pills. In reality, spending the money on healthy food would be better, but it's easier to take a pill.

"I probably had inklings about what was happening with household food security, bodyweight status and diabetes. Three-quarters of the population said they were fully food secure in 1997, but only about 60 percent say that this time, while a greater proportion of people report lower food security. Among people in the most deprived circumstances, up to 20 percent reported low food security, which is of concern.

"The actual calcium intake had not declined since 1997. But there is a very high official recommended level for Australia and New Zealand at present. If you accept that recommended level is wise, then we're nearly all having an inadequate intact. However, some experts say our recommended level is relatively high, and this survey points to the need for further research whether our bone density levels are healthy."