Education and whole food nutrition the answer March 12 2008

Press Release - 12 March 2008

The answer to the diabetes and obesity epidemics lies in eating more natural whole foods and rejecting processed food jam-packed with sugars and additives. Education is the key and despite an announcement that experts were surprised by a strong link between processed foods and so-called killer health conditions, the link between diet and health is not rocket science, but plain common sense.

The report on soaring diabetes rates in this morning's New Zealand Herald is typical of the impotent hand-wringing that has characterised discussion on diabetes and obesity. Yet, the report on the link between diet and numerous health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer only eight pages later, sets out very clearly the solution to the problem.  

One of the most important solutions to the problem is education. Get New Zealanders young enough with both the education and the good nutrition and much of the problem will disappear.  

Feed Me Right, written by Dee and Tamarin Pigneguy, and published by boutique publishers, Papawai Press, makes avoiding childhood obesity simple. It provides all the nutritional know-how and body science needed to help families avoid the obesity epidemic.  

Although it was written with teenagers in mind it is a book for the whole family. Accurate and fully researched nutritional and body science is presented in an easy-to-read format, supported by brilliant, colourful and quirky illustrations. Feed Me Right is not preachy or prescriptive but empowers parents and their children to make better food choices which will lead them down a path of lifelong wellness.

Managing Director of Devonport-based Papawai Press, Sue Claridge, said that over 3000 copies of Feed Me Right have been sold since it became available in April 2007. There has been strong interest from schools from around the country, particularly since the Teacher Resource that enables teachers to get the most from Feed Me Right in the classroom, was launched in November.

"Many schools have commented on how timely the release of Feed Me Right is and what a fantastic resource it is for the health and food technology parts of the curriculum," Ms Claridge said.