Did we eat all the pies?

Kiwis are officially the third fattest nation in the developed world, with 26.5 percent of us classified as obese. So why are we so fat, and whose problem is it anyway?

Of course it depends how you classify obesity - the article doesn't mention how it was done in this particular survey. So many nutritionists and health professionals rely on the BMI or Body Mass Index to determine whether people are a healthy size; however, it's a flawed system. And it doesn't take into account the many people who society classes as overweight, but who are in fact in perfect health. Some people are simply bigger.

But whichever way you measure it, obesity-related health issues are costing the system an estimated $900 million a year. Now, before people start pointing out all the lifestyle factors and personal choices that cost the country money (alcohol, smoking, drugs, dangerous driving and the like), let's stay on topic. There are other drains on the system, but the fact remains that $900 million is still a very large amount of money.

On the other hand, it's also dangerous to assume that obesity is only caused by poor lifestyle choices. Exercise fanatics - the fitness freaks who run a half marathon before work, gnaw on protein bars and monitor their fat intake down to the gram - love to point the finger and insist that the obese are all couch potatoes, who just need to eat right and exercise more.

And that is likely true for many overweight Kiwis. But there are so many other factors - health conditions that make it difficult to lose weight, lack of time to exercise, poor diet caused by a lack of education or low income - that are contributing to this problem.

The fact that so many of us work in offices doesn't help, either. Our ancestors would wet themselves laughing if they saw us in our masses, frantically pumping and sweating at the gym, trying to squish in some fitness time because our days are spent sitting in cars, at our desks and on the couch. Our incredible advances in technology mean our bodies are turning into fleshy lumps.

So how do we turn the tide and slim down the nation? It's funny, but so many of the answers are tied in with remedies for the economy and the environment as well. We could be killing three birds with one stone - and still we're not making the changes.

Simple steps are meant to be the way to go. Like ditching the car and walk where you can - this saves money, reduces fuel and keeps you trim. Or grow your own food or buying local - bringing a homegrown meal to work stops you blowing your money on fatty treats and it's better for you.

So am I practising what I'm preaching? Er, not entirely. I drive most places thanks to a lack of public transport and the atrocious Auckland weather (poor excuses, I know), so I'm off to a bad start. I grow some veggies, but by no means enough to feed the whole household. And I'm probably averaging about three lunches a week brought from home, blowing my money (and my waistline) on fatty junk the rest of the time.

I guess I have a long way to go, and I accept that my health is my responsibility. But while the impetus remains on individuals to start making changes, the Government should definitely be taking steps to improve health standards across the nation. Not because it's the “nanny state” (boy, am I ever sick of that phrase), but because like it or not, the message doesn't always get through.

Health Minister Tony Ryall insists the Government "takes obesity very seriously" and is focusing on nutrition as well as giving physical activity and sports programmes a bigger boost. But didn't National axe SPARC funding, saying the 'Push Play' campaign was a waste of time? And according to the Greens' health spokeswoman Sue Kedgeley, the Government has also recently scrapped DHB targets for reducing obesity and improving nutrition. How does that tie in with Ryall's statement?

We've got to fight fat on every level if we're going to beat the bloat.