17 October 2013

New Zealand hits one million adults with obesity

The need for urgent action to fight obesity has been reinforced today, with the Ministry of Health Annual Report confirming that New Zealand has tipped the scales with one million adults now obese

“We simply can’t afford the cost of obesity related disease to keep rising; hitting the one million mark should be a huge wake up call to the Government.

“Tonight I am presenting at the Heart Foundation and will be outlining the Green Party’s Healthy Heart action plan to set New Zealand onto a healthier path.

“The Ministry of Health report also confirms another new high, with 225,700 people now having been diagnosed with diabetes and 25.5 percent of adults having ‘prediabetes’ – that’s a quarter of the population.

“At this rate we are going to be hit with a tidal wave of diabetes and heart disease that will cripple New Zealand’s health system.

“The overtaking of the health system by diabetes and obesity will mean that the other health needs of New Zealanders will not be able to be met by our increasingly strained health system.

“The National Government has actually substantially reduced investment in obesity prevention over the past five years.

“The Minister of Health has committed $60 million a year to diabetes and obesity prevention, which is an almost 30 percent decrease in funding since 2008; all the while obesity and diabetes rates soar.

Green Party Healthy Heart action plan:
https://www.greens.org.nz/factsheets/green-party-healthy-heart-action-plan

ENDS

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