Barbara Stewart MP

Spokesperson for Health
28 JULY 2016

Obesity Target Pointless without Support Services

The government’s health target of 95 per cent of obese children being identified and referred for treatment is failing because support services are virtually non-existent, says New Zealand First.

“Since the target’s introduction on July 1 this year, GPs up and down the country are saying there are no healthy eating and exercise services available to refer children to,” says Health Spokesperson Barbara Stewart.

“The burden of achieving this target is therefore falling on already over-stretched GPs because there is nowhere else for families to get help.

“This demonstrates an absolute failure of government to deliver a tangible response to New Zealand’s childhood obesity issue.

“This National government needs to ‘walk the talk’ and implement changes to directly reduce childhood obesity, starting with ensuring that healthy eating and exercise services are available in communities across the country – otherwise their target is redundant.

“New Zealand First would go even further and introduce policies to ensure schools and playgrounds are free from marketing of unhealthy foods, and would remove GST from healthy foods to encourage Kiwi families to choose healthier lifestyles,” says Mrs Stewart.

ENDS

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