02 September 2008

New Zealand doesn't allow fat people to immigrate??

British citizens Rowan Trezise, 33, and Richie Trezise, 35, are now living apart as she tries to shed the extra pounds in order to comply with New Zealand guidelines that immigrants maintain a healthy BMI, or body mass index. BMI is a weight-height ratio that estimates percentage of body fat.

The New Zealand Immigration Service requires all applicants to undergo a complete medical examination, which includes body size measures like “waist circumference.”

A spokesman for New Zealand’s Fight the Obesity Epidemic explained “The New Zealand Immigration regulations were supposedly put into place for budget reasons as the country’s health care system cannot afford to open its doors to overweight immigrants”.

Over half of New Zealand adults and nearly one-third of New Zealand children are already overweight or obese, according to the group. Those figures are expected to rise, as are the health problems associated with being overweight, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Richie Trezise managed to trim two inches off his waistline which brought down BMI sufficiently down to allow him to take the first step toward the couple’s dream of resettling in New Zealand. Meanwhile Rowan Trezise is alone at home and still struggling with bringing down her BMI.
(image credit here) Any commentary from the Aussie/Kiwi continent on this blog?

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