Budget 2006: Obesity campaign gets $76.1m over four years

Government spending on fighting obesity will be increased to help reverse the odds of the next generation of children dying before their parents.

Tackling New Zealand's growing obesity is the centrepiece for new health spending in the Budget, with $76.1 million committed over four years.

Obesity has doubled in the past 30 years; 21 per cent of adults and 10 per cent of children are now obese.

The only statistical bright spot is that the rate of increase may be slackening. Poor diet and physical inactivity are the country's leading causes of premature death.

The Government faces huge future costs to treat the rising burden of diabetes and other diseases linked to the obesity "epidemic".

"It we take no action," Health Minister Pete Hodgson said yesterday, "we face the very real possibility that the current generation of New Zealand children will be the first to die younger than their parents."

The Budget commits $19 million a year for anti-obesity projects under the Healthy Eating Health Action plan. Mr Hodgson said he would announce later this year details of projects, which would focus on initiatives with schools, primary healthcare groups, social agencies and the food industry.

He praised three existing projects he would like replicated:

* The Counties Manukau District Health Board's $10 million, five-year Let's Beat Diabetes scheme.

* The Waitemata board's programme in 16 high schools to remove sugar-laden soft drinks.

* The National Heart Foundation's scheme to improve food in schools.

One of the Counties Manukau initiatives is McDonald's agreement to sell sugar-free Sprite Zero soft drink and no standard, sugar-containing Sprite at the fast-food chain's 21 Counties Manukau restaurants. It is hoped this scheme can be extended to other drinks, food outlets and regions.

"The programme is going well," said Let's Beat Diabetes spokesman Paul Stephenson. He welcomed the new anti-obesity money, saying the work had just begun. "We have got decades of work ahead of us." The anti-obesity money is part of $750 million for new health projects and an overall increase of $931 million - a 9.6 per cent rise in Vote Health, to $10.6 billion.

But National's health spokesman, Tony Ryall, said the Budget failed to address the most pressing issues facing the health system today, such as the shortage of doctors, and the thousands of New Zealanders being dumped from surgery waiting lists.

The Public Health Association marked the Budget 7 out of 10, applauding measures such as extending cheaper doctor visits, the anti-obesity money and investment in child health, but said the poorest children were still missing out.