I read a terribly worrying article in the NZ Herald last weekend. It refers to research by Professor Philip James from London who was invited by AUT to speak in Auckland and Hamilton. Professor James is an advisor to World Health Organisation and president of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.
His main message while here is that New Zealand has one of the highest rates of obesity in the Western world at 25%, and additionally that New Zealand’s obesity controls have fallen behind the rest of the West. In his view the reason for obesity is a genetic predisposition in an environment that allows it to happen with an “out-of-control” food industry and over-use of cars – in Britain it’s been accepted by the Cabinet that it’s not your fault if you get fat. Professor James says, “It’s a normal human response to get fat in the NZ environment”.
What he advocates (and he is astounded at the National Government’s reversal of the decision to allow only healthy foods to be sold in schools) is strict controls in schools, a food labelling system, bans on food marketing to children, tax breaks on fruit and vegetables and more cycle ways. He warns that without changes of this nature, obesity and the diseases it causes will overwhelm health services.
Let’s do everything we can to support anyone or any group that is trying to make these changes.
Source: NZ Herald 8 May 2010
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