One in eight New Zealand children are obese, a new report says. (File image) Photo: 123rf
It is time for urgent government intervention to tackle the country's obesity rates, a think tank says.
A report released on Monday by the Helen Clark Foundation shows that more than one in three New Zealand adults are obese, the third-highest rate in the OECD, while one in eight children are affected.
The numbers are significantly worse for Māori and Pasifika people.
Obesity is now the country's leading risk factor for death and disability, ahead of smoking, according to the report.
It recommended that the government introduce policies to help improve the accessibility of healthy foods and curb the marketing of unhealthy products targeted at children.
"For Kiwis to be healthy, they need to be living in a healthy food environment, but our streets, supermarket shelves and school canteens are packed with food that is convenient, highly processed, and high in fat, salt, and sugar, while our airwaves amplify and target these unhealthy products," Helen Clark Foundation executive director Murray Bruges said.
"If politicians fail to accept this, the same failed policies of the past will be repeated."
The majority of New Zealanders supported tougher rules on unhealthy food, report co-author Adam Bradshaw said.
Obesity was putting immense strain on the health system and costing New Zealand up to $9 billion per year in lost productivity, he said.
"While the causes of obesity can be complex, the fact that New Zealand has so far chosen not to implement policies we know work in other countries is making a bad situation worse.
"It's time for New Zealand politicians to also take some responsibility to tackle our growing obesity problem."
The report recommended:
- Introducing a levy on sugar in food, to bring levels down
- Removing sugary drinks from schools
- Ensuring healthy food is served in hospitals
- Adopting new technologies and treatments for the prevention and treatment of obesity
Dave Letele, who founded the weight loss gym BBM Motivation, said some of New Zealand's poorest communities had an oversupply of fast food outlets.
The report's proposals emphasised the need for immediate government action, he said.
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