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Abdominal obesity
Accumulation of fat around the abdomen. This form of obesity is most associated with adverse health outcomes. |
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Added sugars
These are the sugars added to foods in production/processing. 'Added' sugars do not refer to sugars naturally occuring in fruits. 'Added' sugars have been defined as 'free sugars' by the WHO/FAO. 'Free sugars' refers to all monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods by the manufacturer, cook or consumer plus sugars naturally occurring in honey, syrups and fruit juices'. |
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Angina pectoris
Heaviness or tightness in the chest which may spread to the arms, neck, jaw, face or back due to the inadequate blood supply to meet the demands of the heart muscle commonly during effort or emotion and which is eased by rest or use of glycerin trinitrate. |
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Antiplatelet agent/drug
Act against or destroy blood platelets. Blood plateletes help blood clotting. |
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Arrhthymias
Abnormal heart rhthym which may be permanent, intermittent or transient. |
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Atherosclerosis
The condition in which plaques containing cholesterol and other materials form in the inner linings of large and medium sized arteries leading to localised thickening. |
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Beta-blocker
A drug which antagonises the effects of the sympathetic stimulation, thereby producing a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduced heart muscle contraction leading to lessened oxygen demands of the heart muscle and hence decreasing angina pectoris. |
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Blood pressure
Pressure exerted on the walls of blood vessels and especially arteries when the blood is driven by force from the main pumping chamber of the heart (the ventricle). It is usually measured on the radial artery in the arm using a sphygmomanometer.
Blood pressure is reported as the systolic blood pressure over the diastolic blood pressure, e.g. 120 / 80 mmHg or as the systolic blood pressure alone, e.g. 120 mmHg.
Systolic blood pressure: maximum blood pressure following contraction of the left ventricle of the heart.
Diastolic blood pressure: minimum blood pressure during filling of the heart with blood. |
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Body mass index (BMI)
An indicator of body fatness. It is calculated from the formula: weight/height squared, where weight is in kilograms and height is in metres. |
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Calcium
A mineral that is essential for building strong bones and teeth. The most common dietary source is milk and milk products. |
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Cardiorespiratory fitness
The ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen during sustained physical activity. |
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Cardiovascular disease
An all encompassing term used to describe all diseases and conditions involving the heart and blood vessels. |
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Cholesterol
A white tasteless fat-like substance found in animal fats, oils, bile, brain tissues, milk, egg yolk, nerve myelin, liver, kidneys and adrenals. Mostly synthesised in the liver and normally present in the blood, cholesterol plays an important role in many bodily functions such as producing steroid hormones, insulating nerve fibres and forming bile acids. A high level of blood cholesterol is one of the risk factors for heart disease. |
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Complementary and alternative therapies (CAM)
Therapies which are considered outside the scope of conventional orthodox medicine. The more widely accepted therapies include acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy and homeopathy. |
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Congestive heart failure
Heart failure in which the heart is unable to maintain adequate circulation of the blood or to pump out the blood returned to it. |
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Coronary heart disease
Heart disease resulting from the atherosclerotic narrowings of coronary artery disease. |
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Diabetes Type 1
Previously known as IDDM – insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Caused by the destruction of insulin-producing cells, resulting in insulin deficiency. |
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Diabetes Type 2
Previously known as NIDDM – non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Of unknown cause but associated with a combination of insulin resistance and a relative insulin deficit. The major risk factors for type 2 diabetes are obesity, increasing age, physical inactivity, and nutritional factors such as a high intake of saturated fatty acids. Type 2 diabetes makes up about 85–90% of all diabetes in developed countries. |
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Dietary pattern
This comprises many different foods contributing to a specific combination of interacting nutrients that are consumed together in varying proportions. |
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Dietary supplements
Food supplements in the form of tablets/liquids or powders that may be consumed in addition to the diet to supplement intakes of vitamins, minerals, herbs or other substances. |
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District Health Boards (DHBs)
Organisations established to protect, promote and improve the health and independence of geographically defi ned populations. Each DHB will fund, provide (or ensure) the provisions of health and disability services for its population. |
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Exercise
Exercise is a subset of physical activity and is more formal and exertional in nature. It is planned, structured and repetitive bodily movement done to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fi tness. Specific objectives: improving fitness, performance and health, and providing a means of social interaction. |
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Fitness
see Cardiorespiratory fitness. |
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Folate/folic acid
A vitamin of the B group essential for cell division, growth and red blood cell formation. The term ‘folate’ is a generic name for folic acid (pteroyl monoglutamic acid) and related polyglutamate compounds which exhibit the biological activity of folic acid. |
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Fortified foods
Foods that have had nutrients added, usually vitamins and minerals, during manufacture. The types and amounts of these are specifi ed in food legislation. |
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Functional foods
Foods similar in appearance to conventional foods but which have been modified to have benefits beyond the provision of simple nutrient requirements. |
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Glycaemic index (GI)
The incremental area under the blood glucose response curve of a 50g carbohydrate portion of a test food, expressed as a percent of the response to the same amount of carbohydrate from a standard food (either white bread or glucose), taken by the same subject. |
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Hapü
The social and political unit made up of several whänau sharing common descent. |
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HDL cholesterol (HDL-C)
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Also known as "good" cholesterol, as it has a protective effect against heart disease. |
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Hillary Commission
The body responsible for sport and recreation in New Zealand; disestablished and reconstituted as Sport and Recreation NZ (SPARC) in 2002. |
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Inactive
In the context of physical activity, refers to two categories of inactivity. These are: no activity (sedentary) over 7 days; or some activity (relatively inactive) but less than the recommended 30
minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week, as specified in the New Zealand Physical Activity Guidelines. |
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Ischaemic stroke
Stroke caused by obstruction (as by a blood clot) of a blood vessel of the brain. |
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Iwi
A social and political unit made up of several hapü sharing common descent; Mäori tribe or nation. |
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Kaumatua
Wise and experienced older members of a whãnau, usually aged over 55 years. |
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LDL cholesterol
Low-density cholesterol. Also known as "bad" cholesterol as high levels in the blood can promote the formation of plaque in the walls of arteries. |
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Lipids
General term embracing all fats, oils, and waxy substances that are insoluble in water. In medical terms blood lipids refer to triglycerides and cholesterol. |
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Metabolic equivalent (MET)
A MET or metabolic equivalent is a way of expression the rate of energy expenditure from a given physical activity. 1 MET equals oxygen consumption at rest which is about 3.5 millilitres per kg of body weight per minute. An individual exercising at 2 METS is consuming oxygen at twice the resting rate. |
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Micronutrients
The essential nutrients, which include vitamins and minerals and are usually required in small quantities. |
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Moderate activity
Moderate-intensity activity is activity that will cause a slight, but noticeable increase in breathing and heart rate. This is equivalent to brisk walking.172 For adults, moderate activity is activity requiring 3 to 6 times more energy than at rest (3 – 6 METS). |
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Myocardial infarction
Damage or death to heart muscle that results typically from the partial or complete blockage of a coronary artery (i.e. occlusion). |
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Myopathy
A disorder of muscle tissue or muscles. |
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Non-recreational physical activity
Includes active commuting (physical activity as a form of transport),
and incidental activity (such as climbing stairs at work, household domestic activity such as washing windows and the car). |
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Nutrients
Food components essential to support human life. |
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NZDep
This is an index of deprivation based on the residential address of the individual. The index is based on eight dimensions of deprivation derived from the census: income, access to a car, living space, home ownership, employment, qualifi cations, support, and access to a telephone. The ten-point scale ranges from 1 (individuals living in the least deprived areas) to 10 (individuals
living in the most deprived areas). |
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People from the Indian subcontinent
People with the self-identified ethnicity codes 43 and 44 according to the New Zealand standard classification of ethnicity. |
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Peripheral vascular disease
Is clinically defined as a disease of the peripheral blood vessels
characterized by narrowing and hardening of the arteries that supply the legs and feet, with resulting decrease in blood flow. For cardiovascular risk assessment, a history of intermittent claudication and reduced foot pulses on examination or radiological evidence of peripheral vascular disease will put the person at high cardiovascular risk. |
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Personal health services
Services offered on an individual basis. Includes most treatment services, and face to face visits to General Practitioners and other health practitioners. |
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Physical activity
The entire spectrum of ‘bodily movements’ that each person can undertake in daily life, ranging from normal active living conditions to ‘intentional’ moderate physical activities, to structured and repetitive physical exercises, to physical fitness and training sessions, and collective sport activities, especially leisure and recreational sports. It can be analysed in terms of duration, frequency, intensity, type and context. |
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Primary health care
Primary-level health, disability, social and community services care provided by a range of health workers including physicians, nurses, auxiliaries and community workers. |
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Public health services
Services offered on a population basis. These include all programmes, interventions, policies and activities that improve and protect the health of individuals and the community. Public health services intervene at the population or group level, as distinct from
individual personal health services. |
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Push Play
A Sport and Recreation New Zealand national social marketing campaign encouraging New Zealanders to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. Supported regionally and locally by regional sports’ trusts and community partners. |
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Recommended dietary intakes (RDIs)
Recommended levels of nutrient intake based on basal, average
or low-risk requirements. |
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Risk factor
An aspect of personal behaviour, an inherited characteristic, or an environmental factor that is associated with an increased likelihood of that person developing a particular condition. |
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Saturated fat / fatty acids
Refers to the bonds in a carbon chain of a fatty acid. The bonds between individual carbon atoms of a saturated fat hold as many hydrogen atoms as possible. Foods with a high content of saturated fatty acids tend to raise levels of blood cholesterol and include butter, cream, fat on meat, coconut oil and palm oil. |
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Sedentary
No physical activity in the past 7 days. |
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Serum C peptide
The principal use of C-peptide is in the evaluation of hypoglycemia. People with insulin-secreting neoplasms have high levels of both C-peptide and endogenous insulin; in contrast, people with factitious hypoglycemia will have low C-peptide levels in the presence of elevated (exogenous) serum insulin. C-peptide is also useful in evaluating residual beta-cell function in insulin-dependent diabetics, many of whom have antibodies that interfere with insulin assays. Glucagon-stimulated C-peptide concentration has been shown to be a good discriminator between insulin-requiring and noninsulin-requiring diabetic people. The diagnosis of islet cell tumor is supported by elevation of C-peptide when plasma glucose is less than or equal to 40 mg/dL. |
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Sport and Recreation NZ (SPARC)
The organisational body responsible for sport and recreation in
New Zealand. |
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Stroke
Sudden decrease or loss of consciousness, sensation, and movement caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a blood clot) of a blood vessel of the brain. Stroke is characterised by rapidly developing symptoms and signs of a focal brain lesion, with symptoms lasting for more than 24 hours or leading to death, with no apparent cause other than of vascular origin. |
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Takeaways
Foods that are purchased in a ready-to-eat form. They tend to be high in fat and salt. Examples include fish and chips, hamburgers, fried chicken and chips, pizzas, and Chinese takeaways. |
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Te reo
Language (usually used for Mäori language). |
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Tertiary health care
Very specialised care, often only provided in a small number of locations. |
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Transient ischaemic attack
A brief episode of reduced blood flow to the brain. Symptoms are 'stroke-like' – with temporary blurring of vision, slurring of speech, numbness, and muscle weakness common features – and last less than 24 hours.
Transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) are not included in the definition of stroke even though they have a common cause. TIAs may be the precursor of a stroke; therefore patients who have had a TIA require urgent assessment and treatment. |
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Treaty of Waitangi
New Zealand’s founding document, which establishes the relationship between the Crown and Mäori as tangata whenua, and requires both the Crown and Mäori to act reasonably towards each other and with utmost good faith. |
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Triglycerides
A form of fat in food and the body consisting of glycerol plus three fatty acids. A high level of blood triglycerides is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke and is usually raised by being overweight and by excess alcohol. |
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Vigorous activity
The New Zealand Physical Activity Guidelines define vigorous activity as activity that makes people breathe hard or ‘puff’. For adults, it is activity requiring seven times as much energy as at rest, or greater; equivalent to jogging (7 METS). |
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Weight maintenance
Secondary prevention of weight gain after completing a weight loss programme. This is considered to be long-term, ie, greater than 2-year maintenance of body weight achieved following a period of weight loss (usually a 3-month weight loss programme). |
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Weight management
Includes the approaches outlined below.
- Primary prevention of weight gain in adults, particularly in those with a family history of obesity-related disorders or with early risk factors of a developing metabolic syndrome.
- Weight loss programmes for the overweight.
- Weight maintenance: see definition below.
- Management of interacting risk factors: smoking, physical inactivity, inappropriate diets, eg, in relation to sodium intake and hypertension, saturated fatty acids and ischaemic heart disease, and a low fruit and vegetable consumption (ie, less than 5 portions per day).
- Control of weight gain in growing children who are identified as overweight.
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Whänau
The extended family. Relationships that have blood links to a common ancestor; extended family. |
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