See the diagram above for the percentage of the NZ population! Overweight people are at much greater risk of diabetes and heart problems. Their expectation of life is less and they are a great burden on the Health Service.
We all know that the two main causes are bad eating habits and insufficient exercise- click for graph.
The way in which successive Governments have attacked this increasing problem is to hold inquiries and to provide pamphlets and leaflets to inform people of the risks and encourage them to eat a suitable diet and exercise more. Thus we had the HEHA, Healthy Eating Healthy Action campaign, but has this really made much difference to those at risk? There has been some advance perhaps in schools, and it is certainly essential that young people should adopt a healthy lifestyle. However, it seems to be something of a paper war. How much effect is this really having? The amount of fruit being eaten is said to have risen but is this getting to the core of the matter? We made a submission in 2006 to the Health Select Committee on the  inquiry into  Obesity  and Type two diabetes. You can read an independent comment on what we said here.

Please explore this website to find out all about this. The principles go back to the Peckham Experiment of 1926, and are being broadly followed by communities such as the Shetland Islands. See here or here for more information on the Experiment.

Clearly the details of what was appropriate in a working class area of London nearly 100 years ago will differ from what will suit present day New Zealanders, but the general idea is the same.