• Obesity rates in New Zealand have more than tripled from 10% in the 1980s to 34%. We have the 3^rd highest obesity rate in the OECD. Intergenerational transmission will further entrench obesity.
• UPFs make up about 70% of packaged food products on supermarket shelves. They provide 50% of our calories in comparable countries and account for 40% of food dollars.

• They are making us obese, leading to health problems like heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Heart disease is the single largest cause of death in New Zealand.
• 80% of New Zealanders want politicians to do more to create a healthy food environment. Why are our governments doing nothing?

Obesity rates in New Zealand have more than tripled from 10% in the 1980s to 34%. Heart disease is the largest single cause of death in New Zealand. We had 4600 deaths from heart disease in 2023 and 1080 from diabetes. They cost billions in health dollars every year.

Many governments are regulating UPFs to reduce their harmful effects. 80% of Kiwis think politicians should do more to create a healthier food environment. The trillion-dollar food industry is fighting these tooth and nail. In New Zealand, they don’t have to fight; governments of both stripes have not even tried to regulate! It’s no surprise that we have the 3^rd highest obesity rate in the OECD.

Only 40-50% of most chicken nuggets are, well, chicken! The rest is breading, coating, fat and additives – a lot of unhealthy, cheap things to add bulk, preserve longer, and make us eat more. Our diets are filled with unhealthy, addictive, ultra-processed food (UPFs), which causes numerous health problems like heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and some types of cancer.

Ultra-processed foods typically come from factories -soft drinks, chips, sausages, burgers, etc. These differ from minimally processed (real) foods – meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, grains like rice and flour, nuts, etc. UPFs are addictive; about 40% of us can’t let go. They are the new tobacco.

UPFs began proliferating in the 1980s, when the food industry discovered it could earn higher profits from them. We went from a home-cooked meat-and-veg diet to one filled with UPFs, fast food, takeaways, and eating out. According to Prof Boyd Swinburn and Dr Kelly Garton of the University of Auckland, UPFs make up about 70% of packaged food products on supermarket shelves. They said, “UPFs are designed to make us crave them and eat more. They are marketed to all groups, particularly children, in a way that makes them seem the most delicious and convenient option, giving the best value-for-money.” They provide 50% of our calories in comparable countries and account for 40% of food dollars.

We have always had processed food, not in this volume. We bought most of our food from the local butcher, fruit and veg shop and bakery. Food factories accompanied the supermarkets, offering cheaper, less healthy food. In poorer areas, undernutrition has been replaced by obesity and health problems. Many have deficiencies in vitamins and iron.

UPFs are mostly produced by large international corporations. Their food technologists use refined carbohydrates and fats combined to be addictive and maximise pleasure, to hit what they call the “bliss point”. To encourage us to eat more. In an experiment, those on an UPF diet consumed 500 calories (25%!) more than on a wholesome food diet.

A can of Coke has 10 teaspoons of sugar. Energy drinks like Red Bull and V have even more. Much of their ‘sexy’ advertising for soft drinks and energy drinks targets teenagers and young adults. These companies pay young influencers to promote their wares on TikTok and Instagram. Sugar taxes (introduced by a conservative government in the UK!) reduced tons of sugar consumption in the UK, but both Labour and National governments rejected them.

Advertising and marketing promote UPFs. And, in New Zealand, these are relentless. They run at all hours of the day across multiple media, targeting young and old. Many countries have introduced advertising curbs to reduce children’s exposure. The UK is one of the latest, banning junk food advertising before 9 PM on TV, radio, social media and the internet. Marketing to encourage healthy eating, like the 5+ a day advertising, has disappeared.

Clear labelling, like Health Star ratings on front-of-package labels, can quickly inform consumers how healthy an item is and significantly influence healthy choices. We have an ineffective voluntary regime. Only 36% of eligible food in New Zealand has front-of-pack Health Star ratings. In France, where front labelling is mandatory, the UPF content is only 34%, compared to the UK’s 60%. France’s obesity rate is less than 1/3^rd of New Zealand’s and even lower in Switzerland. According to Michelle Touvier, research director at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, death rates from circulatory diseases in France are half of the UK’s.

Supermarkets play a major role in pushing highly profitable UPFs with savvy product placement and specials. However, some of them are better than others. For example, the local Pakn’Save places its produce and Fish and Meat sections at the store entrance. The UK has banned multi-buy promotions for items high in fat, sugar, or salt.

UPF giants are suing governments implementing health policies in many countries, including Brazil, Mexico, the USA and the UK. Almost 40% of the lawsuits have been launched by multinational corporations like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Kellogg’s, Danone and Ferrero, according to the Guardian. Trade associations file many others.

Fast food is UPFs on steroids and proliferates in poorer areas, food swamps. They are also ‘food deserts’, with few supermarkets and healthy food outlets. Takeaways and dining out encourage larger portions.

While we wait for our governments to act, which may or may not happen, we can try to follow the succinct advice from Michael Pollan, “Eat (real) food. Not too much. Mostly plant-based.” Treat that ice cream or sausage roll as a treat, not a daily staple. Try to cook more at home.

Arguably, New Zealand’s high obesity rate stems from our governments taking zero action on this front. Intergenerational transfer of obesity further entrenches the problem, making it even harder to resolve.

 According to a University of Otago survey, 80% of Kiwis think politicians should do more to create a healthier food environment and don’t want the junk food and sugary drink industry involved in government policies to create healthy food environments.

Will we get a government bold enough to put people’s health before business lobbies?