WELLINGTON, Aug 8 (NNN-RNZ) – The high living cost in New Zealand has prevented children from leading a healthy life, according to a study published today.
The costs of groceries in New Zealand have risen at historically high rates over the past six years, making it virtually impossible for families on benefits to feed children healthily, the study said.
For a household of two adults and two children, the price of lower-cost healthy foods increased by 35 percent between 2018 and 2023, said researchers from the University of Auckland, the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the Massey University.
For a family whose children were growing over that time, additional food needs and price increases saw the cost of healthy groceries increase by more than 50 percent, from 10,420 NZ dollars (6,257.78 U.S. dollars) to 16,083 NZ dollars (9,658.73 U.S. dollars), the study said.
“What we eat affects not only our physical health but also mental health,” said lead researcher, Joanna Strom of the University of Auckland.
In New Zealand, more than one-third of all children are overweight or obese, and only 5.4 percent of children aged two to 14 eat the recommended number of servings of vegetables each day, the research showed.
These statistics are worse for Maori, Pacific, disabled and low-income children, creating inequities that persist over people’s lives, especially with chronic illnesses, it said.
There has been a year-on-year increase in these lower cost healthy foods over the past six years, which is higher than the food price index overall, and that is concerning, Strom said.
The research, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, could inform policy aimed at the whole food system, including incentives to farmers and growers to sell food locally, and local solutions such as free school meals, she said.
Elaine Rush, an AUT professor, said, New Zealand has high rates of child poverty and malnutrition, which will impact on the future health needs and productivity of this country.– NNN-RNZ
