HEALTH INFO > other conditions > Obesity

Obesity is a complex disorder involving too much body fat. Obesity develops over time, often due to consuming more calories (particularly those in fatty and sugary foods) than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities. Your body stores these extra calories as fat.

Factors that might affect your weight include your genetic makeup, some health conditions, overeating, eating high-fat or high sugar foods, and not being physically active.

The number of people with obesity in New Zealand is increasing. This is probably due to living in an environment that promotes over-consumption of food and drinks (especially those high in sugar and/or fat) and limited opportunities for physical activity.

Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference can be used as obesity indicators. People are considered obese when their BMI is 30 or higher. Generally, men with a waist circumference of 94cm (37in) or more and women with a waist circumference of 80cm (about 31.5in) or more are more likely to develop obesity-related health problems.

BMI is calculated using your weight in kilograms (kg) and height in centimetres (cm). There are many tools for calculating your BMI available on the internet, we recommend you use the following website www.bmicalculatornz.com.

Lifestyle adjustments
The good news is that even a small amount of weight loss can reduce the problems associated with obesity. If you are obese, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases. For example, that means if you weigh 100 kg you would be aiming to lose 5 to 10 kg.

Making more healthy choices and increasing your physical activity can help you lose weight. Some tips include:

  • Eat nutritious food with very little fat and no added sugar.

  • Aim for less than 24g of sugar per day.

  • Choose a piece of fruit instead of a biscuit for your snack.

  • Eat celery and carrot sticks instead of potato chips (one third of a packet of potato chips is made up of fat).

  • Drink plain water instead of sugary drinks

  • Eat smaller portions of food

  • Sit less and move about more

  • Be as active as possible. Is there anywhere that you drive that you could walk instead?

  • Can you park the car further away and walk at least some of the way?

  • Aim for at least two and a half hours of moderate exercise every week.

If you are concerned about your weight and/or weight-related health problems, come in and talk to one of our pharmacists. We can evaluate your health risks and discuss weight programmes.