We love our veges - but not our dentist

NICELY DONE: A survey shows most Wairarapa people eat three or more servings of veges a day. PHOTO/FILE

A survey shows Wairarapa people are more likely to eat their veges, avoid the dentist and trust their GP, than the rest of the country.

Most people also feel pretty healthy when asked to rate their own health, with 89 per cent saying it was good or excellent.

Regional results from the New Zealand Health Survey 2011-2014 were released by the Ministry of Health this month.

They show that while 73 per cent of people surveyed in the region ate the recommended servings of vegetables, only 49 per cent ate the recommended intake for fruit.

Nationwide, 66 per cent met the vege intake target and 57 per cent met the fruit intake.

Wairarapa residents are above the national rate of 34 per cent for being overweight - at 39 per cent - and for having high blood pressure - 19 per cent.

Almost 30 per cent of New Zealanders were obese compared to 32 per cent of adults in Wairarapa. The childhood obesity rate was about 4 per cent.

While half of New Zealand pushes play 30 minutes a day, about 67 per cent of residents said they were physically active.

When it comes to taking care of their health, the majority of people had visited their GP recently and had "confidence and trust" in them.

But 59.3 per cent said they never visited the dentist, or if they visited, it was only because they had a toothache.

Rates for health conditions including chronic pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and mood disorders were slightly higher and "statistically significant" compared to the national rate.

The survey relied on self-reported information, except for the obesity indicator, which measured people's height and weight. In Wairarapa, 670 adults and 200 children were surveyed.

Because this is a small sample size, it can mean that there is more uncertainty in the results. A total of 38,914 adults, aged 15 and over, took part in the national survey.