New Zealand needs to take its high obesity rates "seriously", says a University of Otago researcher, after a recent study predicted 45 per cent of Kiwis would be clinically obese in 2038.
Dr Ross Wilson told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning the findings we "somewhat alarming".
The study found that New Zealanders' body mass index rates look to be rising, with the average likely be more than the obesity threshold by the early 2030s, reported RNZ.
BMI takes a person's height and weight to estimate their body fat.
He said BMI doesn't work "necessarily well" at an individual level, however at a population level "we know that high BMI is strongly associated with a lot of bad health outcomes."
"We hope it's going to act as something of a wake up call to start that conversation about what can be done to prevent this happening."
"We need to push (that) this is a major problem," he said.
Dr Wilson said they wanted to make it easier and encourage people to make good lifestyle choices, but a public health approach would be needed as leaving it up to individuals "doesn't work".
"We have this huge rise in obesity... so we need to do things from a policy perspective."
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