What would a healthy, sustainable and affordable diet for New Zealanders look like?

The Healthier Lives research collaboration has announced funding for the University of Otago to investigate what the optimal diet would be to meet New Zealand population nutrition needs, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, at minimal additional cost to individuals.

The researchers will use epidemiological models to look at the effects of a healthy, sustainable diet and simulate policies that could help New Zealanders move towards this diet. The models will estimate the impact of healthy, sustainable diets on population health, ethnic health inequities, greenhouse gas emissions, and health sector cost savings.

The Heathier Lives National Science Challenge is a national research collaboration dedicated to achieving healthier lives for all New Zealanders with a mission to enable delivery of the right preventions and treatments to the right populations, communities and individuals.

The new project funding is NZ$671,790 over three years from July 2020 aligns with Healthier Lives Theme 1 (Healthy food and physical activity environments).