A university professor specialising in public health says not enough is being done in New Zealand to get people up and moving, even though a lack physical activity is just as dangerous as smoking.
A professor of public health at Sydney University, Adrian Bauman, has spoken at a conference in Rotorua.
The event is hosted by the organisation Agencies for Nutrition Action, whose members include the Maori health organisation, Te Hotu Manawa Maori.
Professor Bauman says more is invested in anti-smoking campaigns than in promoting physical activity.
However, he says inactivity is a key factor in heart disease and can lead to other chronic diseases.
Professor Bauman says a taskforce made up of representatives from several government departments is needed to work out how to encourage people to move more.
