Barbara Stewart MP
Spokesperson for Health

9 August 2013

Public Health Priorities Must Change

Public health costs in New Zealand are set to soar unless we seriously target obesity says New Zealand First.

University of Otago researchers have found that obesity and excess body weight are set to overtake smoking as the major cause of declining health by 2016.

Health spokesperson Barbara Stewart says that the Government should reintroduce the ‘Health Eating, Healthy Action’ programme which gets in early and teaches children that healthy eating is preferable to filling up on junk food.

“We should also have clearer food labelling so we know exactly what we are eating.

“This teamed with a healthy eating education campaign would help to reduce the incidence of obesity and excess body weight.

“Preventing obesity needs to become a public health target for the Government before it becomes a huge financial burden for the country,” says Mrs Stewart.

ENDS

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