1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Obesity rates in England have stabilized for the first time 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,680 Speaker 1: in two decades. The number of children who are overweight 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: has fallen to the lowest level since two thousand, while 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: obesity rates and adults have remained stable for the past 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: five years. It's raised the issue back here as New 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: Zealand still has the third highest adult obesity rate in 7 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: the world, with one in three adult New Zealanders over 8 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: fifteen years classified as obese and one in ten children. 9 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: It's just raised the issue here of what do we 10 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: do about it. Boyd Swinburne is the Professor of Population 11 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: Nutrition LCIN University. Boyd, good morning, good morning, thanks for 12 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: being with me. What is the UK doing differently? 13 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 2: Well, it's interesting, you know, the UK have had nine 14 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,959 Speaker 2: years of Tory government with quite a lot of chaos 15 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 2: with Rexit and rulers, prime ministers and so on. Despite that, 16 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 2: they have introduced a number of programs and policies and 17 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: things that do help to reduce childhood obesi. Whether that 18 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 2: all adds up to this flattening off and perhaps decline 19 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: as you say, but you know, they've put a sugary 20 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: drinks tax on several years ago, They've had the food 21 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 2: in schools and improving the quality of that. They have 22 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 2: just now introduced bands on junk food marketing to kids, 23 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 2: you know, one of the first in the world. So 24 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 2: you know, they they have been actually quite progressive in 25 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,960 Speaker 2: their in their actions. Not the ban on junk food 26 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 2: marketing will have caused this change in prevalence of Obesian kids, 27 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 2: but you know they have been remarkably progressive throughout this 28 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 2: Tory government. 29 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: What do you think is going to happen to us? 30 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: Are we're just going to keep getting fatter? Like when 31 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: when do we reach peak fat? 32 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 2: Or is it? Well, that's that's a good question. We're 33 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: we're slowly trickling up. This was a bit of a 34 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: bump up during COVID and and then it's then a 35 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: drop immediately after that. But we're going to keep bubbling 36 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 2: up until we do something about it. And this is 37 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: changes in the environment. I mean, we know what to do. Really, 38 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 2: We've been told by WHO and expert committees and panels 39 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 2: all over the world about the priority policies to implement, 40 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 2: but New Zealand just has not taken any of those steps. 41 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: Do you think we're getting smarter about knowing what we're 42 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: putting in our mouths. Apparently. I've read something the other 43 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: day about just how much ultra process food is in 44 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: our supermarket. I mean we know this by now, We 45 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: know that coke's bad, we know all this stuff, surely. 46 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. I don't think that the fall in childhood obesity 47 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: in the UK is because they've found the kids have 48 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 2: found some willpower or something like that, because there is 49 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 2: a tendency to blame obesity on the individual. But these 50 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 2: fluctuations in these global patterns, they're caused by changes in 51 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 2: the environment and particularly around old processed foods. 52 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: But we can all have a choice, can't we. I mean, 53 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: we can be surrounded by myth or booze and not 54 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: do it. 55 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 2: Well. We can, but what we're surrounded by makes it 56 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: easier or harder. And we're in creatures of our environment. 57 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 2: We respond to And you know, at the moment, we 58 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: don't even know what proportion of our diets are ultra 59 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 2: process food but government judging by other countries is probably 60 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,959 Speaker 2: about fifty percent, you know. So these are the foods 61 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: that have driven up obesity around the world. So nobody's saying, Okay, 62 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 2: we're suddenly going to ban all ultra process foods. No 63 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 2: but let's get it down from fifty percent. 64 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not a great number, is it. Professor. I 65 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: have to leave it there. Thank you very much for 66 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: your time this morning, Professor Boyd Swinman Ultra Process. 67 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 2: For more from News Talks, there'd be listen live on 68 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: air or online 69 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: And keep our shows with you wherever you go with 70 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: our podcasts on radio.