Children's diets under spotlight

The Government is to spend $4 million on New Zealand's first national survey of children's nutrition.

Researchers will soon start visiting 160 schools and interviewing up to 3000 children aged from five to 14 years.

Auckland UniServices at Auckland University has been contracted by the Ministry of Health to conduct the survey and a research team from Auckland, Otago and Massey Universities will be involved.

Ministry public health director Colin Tukuitonga said the survey would provide important national information on children's food intakes, physical activity and body measurements - the first study in New Zealand to do so.

Measuring children's heights and weights will give the ministry an idea of how many children are overweight or obese. Blood and urine samples will also be taken for nutrients assessment.

- NZPA