Along with many other problems we face in New Zealand, obesity relates to the unequal distribution of income and wealth. If you are poor you have to rely on a range of foods that are often more likely to have a higher fat content and sugar content that those who can afford to pay a little more for what they eat.
Boyd Swinburn, Professor of Population Nutrition and Global Health at Auckland University, has been trying to generate a sensible debate on this issue, especially as it relates to children, for years. The ‘personal choice’, ‘let the markets sort it out’ ideologues have raucously claimed that parents are responsible and we should leave it to them.
As with most such claims there is an element of truth. Certainly parents are responsible for what their children eat, but that is no reason not to make it easier for them. Making sure that school tuck shops sell the sort of food that children learn in the classroom is most healthy, would of course be a worthy aim. For those with long memories, it will be apparent that the present Government removed that requirement as soon as they came to power six years ago. An extraordinary lack of commitment to children’s health.
Of course none of us are susceptible to TV advertising! Yeah right! Putting some restrictions on food that is advertised for children during their top viewing times would also be a good idea. We do that for tobacco, so there is a precedent.
High-sugar drinks are getting an appropriately bad press at the moment. Restricting dairies from selling these is a cop-out and they need something universal applied to be effective. The only way to do that is to increase the tax on them which seems reasonable from a simple logical point of view – but that would seem to be too incomprehensible for a lot of politicians.
All of these three ideas have been suggested by Professor Swinburn and groups concerned about the issue of childhood obesity and arise out of serious research. The ideas need our support as, although this is an individual problem, it is equally a social problem that will cost us all one way or another. We have a responsibility to add our voice.