News

Wellington's Pacific Island community has another 17 individuals fit and ready to help fight the obesity epidemic.
 
The students have just completed the Heart Foundation Pacific Heartbeat's Certificate in Pacific Nutrition - a course aimed at reducing the high levels of obesity and diabetes in Pacific communities. 
 
Each graduate is now preparing to take vital heart health knowledge to Pacific community, who are a high-risk population for heart attack, stroke and blood vessel diseases.
 
Pacific Heartbeat spokesperson Tiana Collins says reducing obesity and lowering cholesterol levels have been proven to reduce the risk of these cardiovascular diseases.
 
"Unfortunately Pacific peoples are a high-risk population, yet we know that reducing obesity and lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure have been proven to reduce the risk."

"Our students are passionate about reducing the incidence of diet related health problems in Pacific peoples, and this course gives them the skills and confidence to take basic nutrition information and advice into their communities," she says.
 
The AUT university-accredited 'Certificate in Pacific Nutrition' is run by the Heart Foundation's Pacific Heartbeat (PHB).

The course is a hands-on learning experience which provides scientifically-based, relevant and practical nutrition information.
 
Participants learn how to modify recipes to reduce saturated fat and control the portion sizes of less healthy ingredients, while still retaining the goodness that many foods offer. Healthy aspects of the Pacific diet are also accentuated with the use of vitamin-rich tropical fruits encouraged.

PHB nutrition training facilitator Tiana Collins says the course focuses on 'training the trainer' so that students feel confident when facilitating nutrition and physical activity sessions in the community.
 
"Many students are blown away by the struggle our Pacific people have with heart disease, diabetes and obesity."
 
"They understand how the dissemination of this information can be both life changing and life saving.  By the end of the course, students have a greater appreciation of the vital role they play in this process.  Our hope is that they take this knowledge and pass it on through running their own training workshops within their workplaces, communities and church groups," she says.

The Certificate in Pacific Nutrition class will graduate on Friday 30 April at the Speight's Ale House on 75-81 Jackson Street, Petone, Lower Hutt on from 12-2pm. Media, family and friends are welcome to attend.
 
For more information please contact:
 
Tiana Collins
Training Facilitator
The Heart Foundation
04 4722780
tianac@nhf.org.nz

Background
 
Pacific Heartbeat's Certificate in Pacific Nutrition Course is funded through the Ministry of Health with certificates awarded by the Auckland University of Technology. The PHB Programme is a community health promotion initiative of the Heart Foundation established in 1991, with the primary objective to make a difference to the health of Pacific peoples.