Call for healthy eating posters at hospital

Stuart Hylton

Whanganui Hospital should focus on promoting healthy eating with graphics and posters, along with their existing policy to remove sugary drinks, one committee member says.

The Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) voted last year to remove sugary drinks from the hospital cafes and vending machines. Since then they have worked with service provider Spotless to put healthier options in their display cabinets. Milk drinks and fruit juices had to be limited to a serving size of 250ml or less and artificially sweetened drinks to 355ml or less.

Community and Public Health committee member Stuart Hylton spoke about "visuals" such as informational posters which were put up around Wellington Hospital when he was recovering from an operation once. He was unsure whether Whanganui Hospital had something similar to help "raise awareness" of healthier food and drink options.

Meanwhile, head of mental health Frank Rawlinson who attended the meeting said the policy should target artificially-sweetened drinks.

He said there was "strong" research to say artificially-sweetened drinks had a stronger correlation with obesity than sugar-sweetened drinks.

General manager of service and business planning Tracey Schiebli said they had to keep in mind their contractual obligations with Spotless, as they had already negotiated with them about sugar.

Spotless had already shown "a lot of co-operation" and they needed to be mindful of the contractual part of the relationship.

Committee chairwoman Kate Joblin said they could still be respectful, "but this is important". She spoke of former Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia's desire to have a smokefree country by 2025, and said the hospital could frame its nutrition policy in a similar way.

Member Judith MacDonald said she would like to see "measurable targets" to aim for.

The information presented to the committee in the meeting agenda said the WDHB was committed to implementing a policy that raised awareness of healthy eating benefits, enabled and supported staff to make healthier choices, ensured the providers to the DHB abide by the policy, and that only no or low sugar drinks are provided on campus in reduced serving sizes.

It would also promote water and a healthy eating environment.