Dr. Nick Chamberlain: Public Health Service Director on the changes made to hospital cafe menus

Health New Zealand's changing up hospital cafe menus in the name of a good diet. 

Its fresh National Food and Drink policy reduces processed foods, and the portion sizes for things like slices and scones. 

Food will need lower saturated fats and added sugar - examples include skinless chicken and fish. 

Public Health Service Director Doctor Nick Chamberlain says it would be a bad look if hospitals didn't have healthy food guidelines.

Chamberlain says they're trying to provide guidance, which still gives a huge amount of choice. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Health New Zealand has decided to impose new rules on
hospital cafeterias. It includes cutting the fat off the meat,
taking the skin off the chicken, taking the marshmallows out
of the hot chocolate, and then hiding some food from view,
like pies that have krusty tops. Doctor Nick Chamberlain is
the National Director of the National Public Health Service and
it is with us now, Hey, Nick, Hi, Hi Heather,

(00:24):
are you proud of these rules?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Nick? Hither? The policy is actually more supportive and enabling
than the previous twenty sixteen nineteen policies. It gives a
broader range of choices, and you've identified one area where
there's been a change around the hot drinks and some more.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
I was in the hospital a few months ago, I
got some wantons, but now i'm reading your policy, I'm
not allowed the wantons anymore. If I'm there.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
That's correct. One tons are and the red category. But overall,
there's significantly more choice and opportunities. And we're also working
really closely with supplies so that that makes it much
easier for them. And I think if you look at
the green and orange areas, there's really significant options, including

(01:19):
pies and yeah, but.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Only if the pies have a potato top and are
smaller than two hundred and ten grams. You realize how
ridiculous this is between adults.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Say well, no, that's a normal sized pie, which is
a potato top pie, and.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
They've got them allowed a normal sized pie. Now are
these people private who run the cafeterias or are they
your hospital? Like does Health New Zealand run the cafeterias?

Speaker 2 (01:43):
It varies, but mainly they are contracted provider.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
So you're telling a private company. Are you telling you
telling a private company that they can put the potato
top pies on display, but they've got to hide the
ones with the krusty tops out the back.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
We're not telling our providers too much. We're actually giving
them the options. And actually the various providers and supplies
have been very involved with this. But I.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Thought only the green food is allowed on display and
everything else has to be hidden from view.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
No, not at all. Some of the orange foods are
definitely there. We can't hide.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Well, we can display some of the orange foods.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yep. Yes, and also either I want to assure you
we're willing to review various aspects of the policy when
we get it wrong, and so you know the issue
around their issue around the hot drinks is that you know,
a hot chocolate, of course, is about three to six

(02:41):
teaspoons of sugar, and so by us then adding further
with a marshmallow, it's about another teaspoon. You know that
that was an attempt to try and just recommend to
people that they stick to healthy.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
It's not recommending. That's actually restricted me something, Nick, Why
do you think as an adult I can walk down
Ponsonby Road by myself a hot chocolate and my child
if I want to, and put marshmallows in, But if
I come to your hospital, I'm not allowed. Why is
that okay? Why do you why.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Do you you can do this? I guess if you
take the converse of that, if we didn't have some
sort of healthy food guidelines within hospitals, we'd be hugely criticized.
If we just allowed everything to be available as it
is everywhere else, then people would think, well, that's actually
not sending the right message. So what we are trying
to do is provide some guidance and still give a

(03:35):
huge amount of choice and really very significant.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Choice McDonald's in your hospitals.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
I am not sure how many McDonald's there are, but
I think there probably is one or two McDonald's are
still available in most hospitals have have have declined.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
That and I'm just going to say, Nick, I rest
my case. I appreciate you coming on this is ridiculous,
though good luck with it. Doctor mcchamberlain, National Director of
the National Public Health Service. I'd love to know. This
exercises me probably more than a show like I'm really
upset about I'm not not really upset about it. I
think it's stupid and I think I am spending too

(04:18):
much energy on how stupid this is.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Is it just me?

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Or are you with me on this? Do I need
to calm down? For more from Heather Duplessy Alan Drive,
listen live to news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio