Latest News 14 January 2021 | Counties Manukau Health is continuing to make it easy to make healthy food and drink choices at Middlemore Hospital.
The hospital follows the Ministry of Health’s National Healthy Food and Drink policy which uses a colour-coded food and drink classification system. Foods are divided into ‘green’, ‘amber’ or ‘red’. Green foods are considered part of a healthy diet and dominate the choices available on site, while amber foods are not considered part of an everyday diet, but may have some nutritional value, and are less available while red items are of poor nutritional value and not available.
Visitors will find sugar-free drinks, tinned tuna and crackers and among the offerings in vending machines across the site.
The healthy approach extends to food brought in for patients by visitors – takeaways are not permitted, but home cooked snacks and meals are welcomed.
CM Health Director of Population and Health, Dr Gary Jackson, acknowledges the impact that obesity is having on the health of the local population.
In 2020 up to 40,500 adults were classed as morbidly obese (or dangerously overweight) – more than any other DHB in the country, Dr Jackson says.
“One of the consequences of having a bigger population is that treatment takes longer because of the complexity and complications that can arise,” he says.
The policy is available here to download.