People fitter but fatter: report

By KATHERINE HOBY

New Zealanders are fitter but fatter, latest Ministry of Health figures show.

An annual report into the state of our health shows adults are smoking more dope, gaining weight, and contracting HIV in greater numbers. Also on the increase is youth suicide in women, breast cancer, diabetes, and melanoma.

But people are more physically active and that is having a positive spinoff for health. The numbers suffering from poisoning, burns, cot death, child abuse, drownings, stroke, cervical cancer and influenza are on target for what health authorities hope the country's health would be.

Each year, the Ministry of Health measures the health of the nation, and checks it against predictions.

The report shows 15 per cent of males and 19 per cent of females are obese, well above the targets in the Progress on Health Outcomes of 10 per cent for males and 13 per cent for females.

About 20 per cent (24 per cent of males and 15 per cent of females) reported they had used cannabis in the past 12 months.

The Ministry of Health hoped in 1996 to reduce that number to 8 per cent or less by 2005.

In 1998 the number of new cases confirmed with HIV jumped to 105, the highest since 1992 and well over the target of annual cases of 75 or fewer set in 1996 for the year 2000.

Maori are especially prone to the rate of strokes which is tracking up and away from goal numbers. And while cot death figures are down overall the rate is still six times greater than for non-Maori.

Director-General of Health Karen Poutasi said there were some good achievements in the report.

She said the health strategy would focus on areas in need of improvement, such as nutrition, obesity, tobacco and drug use.

"Individuals, communities, local and central government as well as the health sector itself can make a difference to the impact chronic diseases are having on ourselves and our families," she said.

Information comes from sources such as Statistics New Zealand and the National Cancer Registry.