RUNNING HEAD: NEW ZEALAND OBESITY

NEW ZEALAND OBESITY NAME: INSTITUTION: COURSE: PROFESSOR: DATE:

NEW ZEALAND OBESITY

Obesity is a risk factor for many major diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (Mattheson, 2011). The past twenty years have witnessed a rise in obesity in developed countries which has been declared an epidemic New Zealand is among the affected countries with the latest data indicating that at least 1 in four adults are obese, with a greater rater amongst Maori (41.5%) and Pacific Islanders (63.7%) (Mattheson, 2011). It has been hypothesized that the food intake and level of physical activity play an important role in the development and reduction of obesity. The New Zealand Health Organization has conducted several surveys to this effect with the following results: Physical activity and obesity: Physical activity refers to all movement that increases energy expenditure. Physical activity helps to lower blood pressure, weight gain and obesity. In 2006/07 a survey was conducted to measure the adult physical activity in New Zealand. Participants were asked how many times they had exercised in the past week and how much time they had dedicated to exercise. Half of all adults (52.1%, 50.853.5) met the classification regularly physically active. Men (56.6%, 54.958.3) were significantly more likely than women (49.6%, 47.651.5) to exercise more in a given week. In terms of ethnic groups, Europeans have the highest prevalence for physical activity at 53.3, the Maori follow at 56.3 followed by Pacifics with 48.9 and finally the Asians with a prevalence of 41.9. The data indicated that the Maori and Asian Pacific ethnic groups were more affected by obesity than their European counterparts. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of regular physical activity in adults by neighborhood deprivation. Nutritional dietary intake and obesity:

NEW ZEALAND OBESITY

In 2008, the University of Otago interviewed 4721 New Zealanders to determine their dietary food intake (Maddisson, 2007). In this category, participants were asked about behaviors such as breakfast consumption and the frequency of eating certain foods. According to the survey Breakfast was eaten daily by 66.9% of the total population aged 15 years and over, and a further 18.8% ate breakfast three to six times a week. Six percent did not usually eat breakfast. The survey also showed that the proportion of new Zealanders eating at least three servings of vegetables a day decreased with increased neighborhood deprivation. Processed meat is known to contain fatty acids and was eaten by 87.3% of the total population. The survey reported that those who took unhealthy foods such as high fat milk and processed meat had a higher risk of getting obesity than those who only partook healthy foods. This is because the unhealthy foods lead to increased deposits of fats in the body which ultimately leads to obesity. The socioeconomic status also affects obesity. Several studies indicate those who are not well off prefer fast foods as compared to the wealthy. In most cases the poor people have no clue as to the health hazards associated with consuming certain foods. The rich are aware of these health hazards and therefore avoid such foods and also exercise more which lowers their risk of acquiring obesity. In some cases, the wealthy are at more risk of obesity than the poor. For example, in the case of television advertisements, the wealthy own the means to buy the advertised products. The above facts show that nutritional intake, physical activity and socioeconomic status affect obesity among New Zealanders.

NEW ZEALAND OBESITY

Works cited: Maddison, R., Mhurchu, C. N., Jiang, Y., Vander Hoorn, S., Rodgers, A., Lawes, C. M., & Rush, E. (2007). International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and New Zealand Physical Activity Questionnaire (NZPAQ): A doubly labelled water validation. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 4(1), 62. Matheson, D. (2011). Tracking the Obesity Epidemic. Ministry of Health. Sobal, J., & Stunkard, A. J. (1989). Socioeconomic status and obesity: a review of the literature. Psychological bulletin, 105(2), 260. Utter, J., Scragg, R., & Schaaf, D. (2006). Associations between television viewing and consumption of commonly advertised foods among New Zealand children and young adolescents. Public health nutrition, 9(5), 606-612. Wilson, B. D., Wilson, N. C., & Russell, D. G. (2001). Obesity and body fat distribution in the New Zealand population. The New Zealand medical journal,114(1128), 127-130.