A bargain or a health burden? A Pizza Hut promotion for $1 pizzas at lunchtime at its Ōtara store has raised the ire of David Letele from Buttabean Motivation, who says it is targeting the poor, brown people.
Mr Letele is a fitness trainer and life coach who works with the Pacific Island community.
He told Checkpoint there should be no more fast food outlets in South Auckland.
"If you look at where the most fast food stores are in Auckland - West Auckland and South Auckland.
"We are on the front line of this fight, we see the effects of obesity. They're chopping limbs off because of Type 2 diabetes in Middlemore... There should be no more fast food joints allowed in South Auckland.
"The government needs to step up here... There needs to be a restriction," he said.
"Pizza Hut needs to take responsibility... Every day we see the results of unhealthy living... This does not help.
"I don't blame families for going there. If you have no money and you're hungry, of course. The point here is the government should be stepping in and not allowing fast food joints to do this. We're being exploited."
In a statement to Checkpoint, Pizza Hut said: "To celebrate our new Pizza Hut store in Papatoetoe, we are offering $1 Large Pizza deals to customers within the surrounding suburbs. Our $1 deal only runs Tuesday through to Friday, from 11am to 1pm and is limited to one per customer only. We have opened stores using similar promotions in the past.”
