Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and some cancers. Introduction It is estimated that 1.1 million adults are obese in New Zealand (that is, they have a BMI or Body Mass Index of 30 or more). Obesity in New Zealand places a considerable strain on the health care system: a...

This paper examines selected risk factors and health status indicators that show a statistically significant difference between children living in the most and least deprived socioeconomic areas of New Zealand.