A STRENGTH BASED POPULATION HEALTH LENS
Healthy eating: A core lever for Healthier, Longer, Better Lives Healthy eating sits at the centre of the 5590+ framework and offers one of the highest return investments for population health. 7 Current New Zealand data shows: • Over one third of adults live with obesity or weight that impairs health, increasing risk for NCDs like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. 5 • Most adults and children do not meet recommended intakes of vegetables, fruits and whole foods , while consumption of ultra processed foods, sugary drinks and high sodium products remains high. 5 These patterns are also directly linked to some of the highest cost conditions for the health system.
New Zealanders are living longer, and overall life expectancy remains high by global standards. Smoking rates have reduced, and mortality from heart and respiratory disease has started to decline over time, demonstrating that collective prevention efforts work. However, nutrition-related disease has continued to increase. 8 Rather than seeing this outcome as a failure, this 5590+ framework update positions it as a signal of where targeted, empowering action can have the greatest impact. Importantly, nutrition is not just about individual choice. The food environments people live, learn and work in strongly influence everyday decisions. The updated 5590+ framework therefore emphasises health focused marketing, education, improved access and supportive environments, helping people feel confident and capable, rather than overwhelmed, when making food choices. This reflects a shift from placing responsibility solely on individuals to actively reshaping the environments that influence behaviour at scale, including affordability, availability and visibility of healthy food. Without intervention, nutrition-related chronic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes will continue to drive a rising cost curve for the health system, increasing demand for acute and long-term care. Even small shifts in population nutrition at scale can materially bend this curve over time.
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