Sue Milburn and Gwendoline Welburn

Sue Milburn is a Public Health Dietitian in the Waikato region. During her years as a Community Dietitian in the Coromandel area, working in the management of chronic disease, she became interested in the factors that affect food choice – and particularly how environmental factors affect what foods people are able to access and to choose.

In the Waikato, she coordinates the Physical Activity and Nutrition Interagency Network (PANINI) and supports the nutrition component of Project Energize. She is also a Board Member of the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). She lives in Thames and enjoys walking, reading, folk music and cycling.

Gwendoline Welburn

Gwendol Welburn (Ngati Porou) is the Public Health Services Manager at Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki, an Iwi health provider covering the Hauraki rohe. Gwendol has served on the Board of the Obesity Action Coalition for two years, as part of the Māori Caucus. Gwendol is passionate about Māori health and, with fellow Board Members including Leonie Matoe (THMM), Francis Smiler-Edwards, and Soana Muimuihaeta, has guided the development and implementation of specific Māori and Pacific advocacy plans.

Gwendol lives in the metropolis of Thames with her husband and two daughters and is currently trying to juggle work/family/study/life and exercise in her limited 24 hours a day.

Presentation: Food Security the NZ situation

In 2006 the Obesity Action Coalition developed a Māori specific obesity advocacy plan. Based on extensive consultation the plan identified two key areas Māori were especially concerned with in relation to Obesity: food security, and workforce development.

The consultation process found that while there was concern about food security there was limited knowledge about strategies to address food security in the community. As a result, OAC has worked with Te Hotu Manawa Māori to develop a toolkit for health agencies about food security. The toolkit collates the existing statistics and documents existing and planned strategies to address food security among Māori.

This presentation will launch the toolkit, outline its key points, and strategies for action.