Rural doctors say New Zealand needs a new, digitally enabled healthcare model to tackle obesity in regional communities.

New Zealand is the third most obese nation in the OECD, with more than one in three adults classified as obese and rates among Māori exceeding 50%.

New data shows the economic impact of obesity is expected to grow 471% to reach $46.3 billion by 2060.

Rural New Zealanders and Māori are disproportionately affected, with those in the most deprived areas 1.6 times more likely to be obese than their urban counterparts.

Research into the needs of rural patients living with obesity found GPs see it as one of their biggest challenges, but the health system is not designed to support them.

Dr Kieran Dang, chief medical officer of Moshy, a trans-Tasman telehealth network of GPs specialising in obesity care, says communication gaps, structural barriers and wider social and cultural pressures all stand in the way of treatment.

“Too often, people in regional areas struggle to even see a GP, let alone receive specialist weight-management care. Without new approaches designed for rural realities, residents are left at greater risk of serious conditions down the track,” he says.

He and Moshy NZ clinical lead Dr Anasuya Vishvanath say telehealth can provide wraparound programmes that combine medical support, dietary advice and patient coaching, helping patients start care sooner and stay engaged.

“The current system was never designed for the scale of obesity we’re seeing. A new digitally enabled model that combines medical, social and cultural care is essential to close those gaps,” Dr Vishvanath says.

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