Southern District Health Board

Healthy Eating Healthy Action (HEHA) is the nationwide health strategy designed to improve nutrition, increase physical activity and achieve healthy weight for all New Zealanders.   By achieving these goals, the HEHA strategy seeks to reduce rates of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers and extend the length and quality of the lives of New Zealanders.

"Healthy Eating - Healthy Action. Oranga Kai - Oranga Pumau: A Strategic Framework" was published in 2003 and underpins the HEHA Strategy that is being implemented across New Zealand.

The HEHA vision is to create an environment and society where individuals, families and whanau, and communities are supported to eat well, live physically active lives, and attain and maintain a healthy body weight.

Healthy Eating Healthy Action (HEHA) Key Messages

Eat a variety of nutritious foods Eat less fatty, salty and sugary foods Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits Fully breastfeed infants for at least 6 months Be active every day for at least 30 minutes in as many ways as possible Include some vigorous exercise for extra benefit Aim to maintain a healthy weight throughout life Promote and foster the development of environments that support a healthy lifestyle

HEHA Reference Groups

There are groups in both Otago and Southland that were formed to take action on HEHA related matters at a strategic level - for example, the group was responsible for developing  the HEHA Plan.
The group believes in working collaboratively at a strategic level to achieve a healthy environment by providing leadership and supporting a collaborative approach. The Reference Groups will endeavour to advocate for healthy public policy to support healthy eating, healthy action at a local level.

HEHA Network Groups

Both regions also have large and active HEHA networking groups involving stakeholders right across the community from the health, physical activity and education sectors as well as central government agencies, local government, industry and other individual/organisations whose guiding principles are the key population health messages that underpin the HEHA strategy.  The Networking group recognises that working collaboratively is a strength that creates unique opportunities, and through a multi agency collaborative approach we can achieve better outcomes.

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