2020 Election: Gerry Brownlee Says Weight Is His Responsibility; Judith Collins Says Obese People Should Have ‘Personal Choices’

National Party Deputy Leader Gerry Brownlee says there is no one but himself to take responsibility for its sheer size.

“It’s mine,” the politician told Mike Hosking of NewstalkZB this morning.

It comes as national leader Judith Collins doubled down on obesity, describing it as a weakness and that people shouldn’t “blame systems for their personal choices.”

He said that obese people should take some personal responsibility.

The deputy director supported his comments and said it was not an easy topic to broach.

He said he was against any state control on obesity, supporting Collins’s comments about people taking over his heavy weight.

“It is a subject that is not easy to deal with. She said that you take personal responsibility.

“To say that there should be some state-mandated action that forces people to be a particular size, I think is a step too far,” he said.

This morning the National leader continued to address the country’s obesity problem saying that it is a matter of personal responsibility.

She told the AM Show that it was all about eating fresh, healthy food and exercising.

“I’ve seen it in my own family,” he said. “People have taken over their diet and, curiously, they have lost weight.”

“Any GP will tell you it’s not that complicated.”

She added that fresh fruits and vegetables were a significantly cheaper option than processed foods, and adding a meal of homemade chicken and vegetables was a great value and healthy option for dinner.

He said that he did not look at people and thought that “they are very fat.”

It’s about being honest about it, he said.

“You can take charge of your life.

“It doesn’t take much to put frozen vegetables in the freezer. It’s not that difficult.”

Earlier, when told that some had called his comments heartless, Collins said, “You know what heartless is? Are you really thinking that someone else can cure these problems? We can all take personal responsibility and we all need to acknowledge our small weaknesses in these matters.

“Don’t blame the systems for your personal decisions.”

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that one in three New Zealanders over the age of 15 is obese.

Those who live in areas of socioeconomic deprivation are also more likely to be obese than those who live in less disadvantaged areas.

Furthermore, statistics show that the prevalence of obesity among adults differs by ethnicity: 67% of Pacific adults, 48% of Maori, 29% of Europeans / others, and 14% of Pacific adults. Asian adults are obese.

About one in nine children ages two to 14 is obese.

Labor leader Jacinda Ardern was asked about obesity.

“I think on an issue like this, people are, we all are, products of our environment. There is no denying that and therefore we have to consider all the multiple factors that contribute to obesity problems in New Zealand. .

“I think if you are so simplistic in simply calling it a personal liability problem, then it will never be a problem that we collectively solve.”

She thought it showed that “with Nacional we will not see any progress on the issue.”

“If it is just an opinion that they have no role to play and that there is no difference the government can make on these issues, then it does tell you that in one of the most important health problems we have, you will see nothing of the opposition in him. “

New Zealand leader Winston Peters was also asked about the issue.

“A tsunami of obesity problems is coming, it is a critical issue and our healthcare system is facing a nightmare unless we get going here and right now to do something about it.”

When asked if it was a matter of personal responsibility or external factors, she said: “It is a combination; it is often external factors, often it is some people, unfortunately [have] they got two or three jobs: their chances of stopping to … follow good gastronomic practices are not affordable. They’re buzzing with take out meals and whatever.

“We can all condemn them and say what we want, but the reality is that they will have sadly cut lives and many preventable diseases and I would like to think that this country has a serious and practical dialogue about it rather than just condemning people.”

Pending the election, Collins said today that the first thing she would do if elected to power on Saturday would be to sit quietly with a hot drink.

“I’ll probably sit down and have a cup of tea and regain a lot of personal responsibility,” he laughed.

Brownlee told Hosking this morning that a wealth tax would be a high priority for any Green-Labor coalition.

When it came to negotiating with the left, all taxes were back on the table.

“All they have is taxes, so why stop at getting an additional $ 500 million? It’s a real problem,” he said.

Brownlee said the Labor Party was now trying to deviate from the Green Party’s position.

– RNZ and NZ Herald