LENScience co-hosts a special meeting with the World Health Organization Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity

11 August 2015

On 28 July, 2015, LENScience co-hosted a special event with Tamaki College, Auckland, New Zealand (NZ). This event was a meeting between Auckland youth and international education leaders with the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. This is the only occasion that the WHO Commissioners will meet with youth and/or educators during their worldwide trip to gather feedback on their Interim Report. The WHO Commission was in Auckland for 2 days (27 to 28 July, 2015) for their consultation with the Pacific Region.

In attendance were WHO Commission co-chair Sir Peter Gluckman, Commissioners Ms Betty King and Dr Colin Tukuitonga, Dr Paula Vivili and another delegate from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and five other WHO delegates.

Also present were 19 Auckland youth representatives from Southern Cross Campus, Tamaki College, Tangaroa College and University of Auckland.

The education sector was represented by 17 Pacific education leaders from NZ, Cook Islands and Tonga. These included principals, deputy principals, educators, Ministry of Education officials from the Cook Islands and NZ, and education researchers from the NZ Council for Educational Research and the Liggins Institute.

This meeting provided an opportunity for youth to discuss why obesity is important and what the WHO Commission and young people can do to help to address this health issue. The education leaders presented their experiences with school-based programmes that focus on reducing obesity in children and adolescents, as well as recommendations to the WHO Commission to help improve the success of school-based programmes.

More information about this event is available from:

WHO summary of the event: Commissioners hear from young people about preventing childhood obesity
Radio NZ coverage of the event: Pacific students, teachers call on WHO to help prevent obesity, Pacific teachers want a say in obesity fight
TV3 interview with Sir Peter Gluckman: Chief scientist: jury still out on sugar tax

Sir Peter Gluckman invited the youth and education representatives to provide additional feedback once the next draft of the Commission’s report becomes available.

WHO Commissioners and other delegates From left to right: Ms Betty King (WHO Commissioner), Dr Colin Tukuitonga (Secretariat of the Pacific Community Director), Sir Peter Gluckman (WHO Commmission co-Chair), Taylor Fatuamaka (Tangaroa College), Dr Timothy Armstrong (WHO delegate), Dr Juana Willumsen (WHO delegate)

Youth representatives From left to right: Marinigi Taylor (Southern Cross Campus), Wiseman Mataiti (Southern Cross Campus), Candice Waugh (Southern Cross Campus), Sinola Falefoou (Tamaki College)

Photographs supplied by Chandar Dewan on behalf of LENScience.

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