Obesity Te mate momona

Obesity in New Zealand

Excess weight (obesity) is associated with many health conditions including Type 2 diabetes, ischaemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, several common cancers, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea and reproductive abnormalities in adults.

Children with obesity are more likely to be obese as adults and to have abnormal lipid profiles, impaired glucose tolerance and high blood pressure at a younger age. Obesity in children is also associated with musculoskeletal problems, asthma and psychological problems including body dissatisfaction, poor self esteem, depression and other mental health problems.

The World Health Organization describes the prevalence of obesity as an epidemic.

New Zealand has the third-highest adult obesity rate in the OECD, and our rates continue to increase. One in three adult New Zealanders (over 15 years) is classified as obese, as is one in eight children (aged 2 to 14 years).

What we are doing to address obesity

The Government is taking a broad population approach to achieving healthy weight (see the Healthify website), with a focus on improved nutrition and increased physical activity. The approach is designed to help address the significant health losses associated with non-communicable diseases in New Zealand.

The government is taking the following actions that, while not targeted obesity initiatives, help create healthier environments. These actions help promote healthy eating and physical activity, which are important for healthy weight, growth and development.

• Healthy Active Learning is a joint government initiative between Sport NZ, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora. The initiative supports healthy eating and physical activity in schools, kura, early learning services and kohanga reo across Aotearoa.
• Working with Health New Zealand to implement the National Healthy Food and Drink Policy.
• Supporting the Health New Zealand-funded Food Reformulation programme delivered by the National Heart Foundation.

Additional resources to support healthy eating, activity and sleep

• Eating and Activity Guidelines (Health New Zealand).
• Physical Activity Guidelines, including sleep and screen time, for children under 5 years and for children and young people aged 5 to 17 years (Health New Zealand).
• Clinical Guidelines for Weight Management for Adults and for Children and Young People.
• Fruit in Schools (Health New Zealand), which provides a piece of fruit or vegetable to over 120,000 children and staff each school day in 566 primary schools.
• Breastfeeding support: all publicly funded maternity facilities must ensure support for breastfeeding is available from birth. Other breastfeeding support activities include peer support networks, social media, free lactation consultation services and events such as the Big Latch On.
• Green Prescriptions (Health New Zealand) is written advice from a health professional to a patient to be physically active, as part of the patient’s health management.
• Active Families (Health New Zealand)are community-based health initiatives designed to increase physical activity and improve nutrition in children and young people aged 5 to 8 years and their whānau/families.

Previous actions

• March 2003: Healthy Eating: Healthy Action. Oranga Kai: Oranga Pumau: A strategic framework
• June 2004: Healthy Eating – Healthy Action: Oranga Kai – Oranga Pumau Implementation Plan: 2004–2010 (Archived – available on the National Library website)
• June 2014: Guidance for healthy weight gain in pregnancy (Archived – available on the National Library website).
• June 2016: Weight Management in 2–5 Year Olds
• June 2017: Children and Young People Living Well and Staying Well: New Zealand Childhood Obesity Programme Baseline Report 2016/17
• November 2019: Food Industry Taskforce Report