Monday 4 April 2016 11:44am
A study published in The Lancet medical journal, using body mass index data from 200 countries, shows the number of obese people has risen from 105 million to more than 600 million in 40 years.
The research revealed nearly 20 percent of the world's obese adults live in New Zealand and five other high-income English-speaking countries: Australia, Canada, Republic of Ireland, Britain, and America.
Professor Jim Mann, EDOR director and contributor to the Lancet article, says the government needs to legislate to deal with the issue.
"Everyone knows what we should be doing, but clearly we're not doing it."
Associate Professor Jeremy Krebs, EDOR member and Endocrinologist at Wellington Hospital, says health professionals have been forecasting this outcome to government for more than 10 years. "We've seen it coming and it's a sad day that we've now crossed that line", says Dr Krebs.
More than 70 New Zealand public health experts, including several EDOR members, have written an open letter to Cabinet asking for obesity prevention measures to be strengthened.
Read the open letter to cabinet calling for a sugary drinks tax
An open letter to Cabinet Ministers from 74 health professors, Public Health Expert, 2 April, 2016
Follow the news on the obesity epidemic
- Calls for stronger action to fight obesity, RNZ, 2 April, 2016
- More people obese than underweight, Newshub TV3, 2 April, 2016
- Public health experts urge action on obesity, RNZ, 3 April, 2016
