Dietician stars fresh war on enemy within | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Dietitian Bronwyn Wood refuses to surrender her battle against the bulge despite Wairarapa today being home to some of the best 'bad' Kiwi tucker.

Commercial kitchens in the region have this year concocted several varieties of arguably unhealthy foods that have won silver and gold in their mouth-watering rush from the ovens and shelves.

An unrequited appetite let loose in the valley would soon find prize ice creams, medal-winning sausages and blue ribbon pies, buns and chips that have all won over national and regional palates and plates - in some cases for years in a row.

Ms Wood, a trained dietitian and health promoter for Wairarapa Public Health, conceded her mission to help educate consumers about healthy nutrition is not plagued by the independently owned cafes, bakeries, butcheries or fish and chip shops.

Ms Wood instead lands the blame on corporate fast food outlets for an acknowledged shift from overweight to obese patients and an increase in diet-related health problems.

She said there is a harmful ratio of franchises now operating in Wairarapa - McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza and KFC - "for the size of the region".

"The problem is that this sort of food is sold so cheaply that people tend to overeat. The food is cheap but the cost in health terms isn't," she said.

"I haven't stepped foot in McDonalds in the three years I've been here and my three-year-old daughter (Hannah) isn't going there either.

"It's not really the cafes, chip shops or bakeries. A bakery for example will make their own pastry and put real meat in their pies and the prices reflect that effort. People aren't so likely to overeat."

Ms Wood and her colleagues encourage consumers to dig in a vegetable garden or shop at the supermarket for fresh produce and meats.

"We push the idea of buying or growing what you need and cooking at home - grow your own, cook your own.

"It's not just the fat and sugar content. It's the nutrients that you're not getting. Food like pizzas might sound cheap but there are too many calories and coupled with a lack of exercise and you're on very dangerous ground.

"If the world was ideal there would just be a few fish and chip shops and a bakery or two. But the food industry and the corporates would need to take responsibility and they just won't."