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Food education charity Garden to Table says a $1.8 million anti-obesity campaign may not be working with Maori and Pasifika communities because it tries to make people feel guilty about their weight.
The Health Promotion Agency’s Big Change Starts Small campaign is fronted by Olympic shot put champion Valerie Adams.
Garden to Table works in primary schools encouraging children to learn how to grow food and prepare it for eating.
Executive officer Linda Taylor says there are many causes of the current childhood obesity crisis.
She says the Garden to Table Trust believes there will be long term benefits in increasing food literacy amongst children, with reducing obesity only one of its aims.
Principals report low absentee rates when the children are in the kitchen and garden, and many of the kids are now building small vegetable gardens at home.
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