South Auckland Weight Loss Centre
Speech by David Hill Nutritionist at the opening on 12th September:
Mayor of Auckland Len Brown, Former Mayor of Auckland Dick Hubbard, Member of Parliament Mr Robertson, and Mr Singh, fitness centre members, the very talented directors and staff of Community Leisure Management and Otahuhu Recreation and Youth Centre, representatives from health promotion organisations, ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be with you today to celebrate this great opportunity for the health and wellbeing of South Auckland.
However it gives me no pleasure to inform you that the problem of obesity is now so prevalent it should be viewed as a pandemic.
It gives me no pleasure to tell you that New Zealand has the second highest rate of obesity in the world, and that the obesity rate of South Auckland is more than double the national average.
It gives me no pleasure to tell you that Pacific children are five times more likely to be obese than New Zealand European children.
And it most certainly gives me no pleasure to inform you that obesity contributes significantly to our communities most frightening and devastating diseases: heart attacks, stroke, depression, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
In almost every sector of society obesity is not taken seriously enough.
South Auckland is well known for having a high level of obesity and this is a very real and life threatening problem.
But I believe in a better and brighter future for the people of South Auckland. I believe South Auckland is rising up and that the spirit of South Auckland is stronger than the problems of South Auckland.
We were the first country to conquer Everest, we were the first country to split the atom, the first country to give woman the vote, the first country to give indigenous people the vote, we were the first country to be nuclear free, we are the first nation on earth to see the sun every morning, and by the year 2025 we will be the first country in the world to be smoke free. We can be the first country on earth to reverse our obesity levels, and we can start today.
We will need a multi-agency, multi-level, long term approach where every aspect of the community is involved.
Our communities are waking up to the realisation that it is not right for tobacco companies to continue to sell us something they know kills us. Yes it is true smoking kills but so does obesity. While we are driving out tobacco from our land we must not forget to drive out obesity.
Some have told me my ideals are too high; that the task is too difficult. My name is David, I am named after a man who killed a giant while he was still a boy and I am here to tell you obesity can be beaten. When we work together we can take obesity down to the ground where it belongs.
Yes there are 85 people registered on our current weight loss programme and yes they get eight nutrition seminars for free because the gym pays. Yes there are people waiting for the next programme to start. Yes this is going to get a lot bigger. BUT there are half a million people living in Counties Manukau a quarter of these are under the age of 14.
These people are living in an obesogenic environment, an environment where you will become obese by default, simply as a result of existing. In Otara there are 31 shops that I would consider to be on the main shopping street. Of these 31 shops, 24 sell food, of these 24 14 are selling deep fried food, mainly fried chicken. This is kept under lights in food display cabinets at the front of the shop. These shops are protected at night by roll down garage doors - there is no front wall on many of these shops, wherever you walk you see and smell deep fried chicken.
There are 82 Subway restaurants in Auckland but I have never seen a subway restaurant in Otara and it makes sense when you can buy deep fried chicken pieces for just $1.50.
Yes it is true, we can not legislate morality but we can legislate against complete stupidity. We can increase the tax on deep fried, and high fat foods, and we can ban high fat food items from canteens in our government owned school.
We are to be Gods hands of healing and hope in this world, we are the ones who are responsible to shape an uncertain future. It is a war we must fight and we must fight it well. In the words of Professor Imbanya, President of the International Diabetes Federation "We have two choices: We spend all our time mopping the floor or we get up and turn the tap off". Either we keep watching as children get robbed of their fathers due to heart attacks from obesity and smoking or we take down obesity and smoking.
In conclusion: Our former Prime Minister David Lange who was born in Otahuhu and whose memorial stands outside the front door has left us with nuclear free legislation as his legacy we all enjoy today.
What is the legacy we leave for our children? It is legislation that cuts obesity and smoking from our nation. It is a clean, green, healthy environment. An environment that encourages life in its fullness not life full of sickness.
Thank you for your time today.