Why has obesity become an epidemic in New
Zealand?
Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh & Merchant
(2005) describe the cause of obesity as “energy intake exceeding energy
expenditure”. However factors such as
genetics, environment, lifestyle, and culture also contribute to the growing prevalence
of obesity (p.3). The Waikato District Health Board (2011) has described the three main causes of obesity as:
- Human biology: an individuals own genetics and metabolic rate have an effect on their weight
- Eating behaviour: what an individual eats and how much
- Physical activity: how much activity an individual undertakes
The Waikato District Health Board (2011) does go on to admit however that due to the “growing prevalence of obesity it is
unlikely that genetics is the main cause of the epidemic” (p.4) and that eating behaviours are the
main contributing factors to the obesity epidemic (Ministry of health,
2004; Waikato District Health Board, 2011; Dehghan, Akhtar-Danash, Merchant,
2005; Berk, 2010).
The term eating behaviours includes food choices, portion sizes, frequency of eating and fad dieting and breakfast skipping (Ma, Bertone, stanek, Reed, Herbert, Cohen, Merrriam & Ockene, 2003). There are a number of influences on individuals/families food choices, one of which is the increasing availability and affordability of convenience foods. These types of foods include takeaways, pre-packaged and heat and eat meals which are commonly high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fats; energy dense foods with little to no nutritional value (Ministry of Health, 2013). These foods however unhealthy are being consumed on a regular basis by many New Zealander's.
One of the main causes for the growing consumption of convenience food is the expense of fresh foods (a head of brocoli at New World supermarket on the 29th of April is $2.49 while a large pizza at Domino's on the same day is $4.99). A lack of disposable income has become more and more common in New Zealand since the beginning of the recession in 2008 (Ministry of business, innovation and employment (2010) (see video)
The term eating behaviours includes food choices, portion sizes, frequency of eating and fad dieting and breakfast skipping (Ma, Bertone, stanek, Reed, Herbert, Cohen, Merrriam & Ockene, 2003). There are a number of influences on individuals/families food choices, one of which is the increasing availability and affordability of convenience foods. These types of foods include takeaways, pre-packaged and heat and eat meals which are commonly high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fats; energy dense foods with little to no nutritional value (Ministry of Health, 2013). These foods however unhealthy are being consumed on a regular basis by many New Zealander's.
One of the main causes for the growing consumption of convenience food is the expense of fresh foods (a head of brocoli at New World supermarket on the 29th of April is $2.49 while a large pizza at Domino's on the same day is $4.99). A lack of disposable income has become more and more common in New Zealand since the beginning of the recession in 2008 (Ministry of business, innovation and employment (2010) (see video)
As obesity occurs through high energy
intake and low energy expenditure, food choices alone cannot be blamed for the
increase of obesity in New Zealand. The
Ministry of Health (2013) shows through their 2006/2007 New Zealand health
survey that one in ten adults are physically active for less than thirty
minutes each week, and only eleven percent of adolescents surveyed met the
recommended level of daily physical activity. To maintain a healthy weight,
heart, to build muscular fitness and bone health the World Health Organisation
(2013) recommends children between the ages of five to seventeen participate in sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily, while
adults are recommended to participate in one hundred and fifty minutes of
physical activity per week.
When you consider this documented lack of activity by adults and children in combination with eating large quantities of energy dense, nutrient poor food both world wide (World Health Organisation, 2013) and throughout New Zealand (Ministry of Health, 2013) is it any wonder obesity is such a threat to the health of New Zealanders?
When you consider this documented lack of activity by adults and children in combination with eating large quantities of energy dense, nutrient poor food both world wide (World Health Organisation, 2013) and throughout New Zealand (Ministry of Health, 2013) is it any wonder obesity is such a threat to the health of New Zealanders?
