By Adam Hollingworth
Middlemore Hospital says the coroner is investigating after a man weighing between 150 and 200 kilos died in the hospital.
But he's just one of an increasing number of morbidly obese people who are posing a challenge to the health service and others.
“We've had to bring in additional equipment that will carry up to, for example, this stretcher here will carry up to 455 kgs - this lifting device which will carry persons as well as caskets up to 400 kgs,” says funeral director Robert Muriwai.
Mr Muriwai specialises in larger bodies, the back-saving equipment from the States cost him $27,000 but it's money well spent.
“We used to get a large client two to three times a year, now we get a large client every month,” he says.
His embalmer, Lloyd Shaw, is so concerned he's got a business on the side. Helping obese people on the road to fitness. He's adapted European exercise machines to help them and doesn't charge his obese clients.
“You'll see me later or vice-versa, it's if I'm very good at one job, I'm not going to be very successful at the other. But I don't mind. It's a challenge worth, kiwis can do this, we're the first country in the world that has got machines that can take larger people, and we're going to be the first in the world to crack it,” he says.
But the stats don't make good reading. One in four New Zealanders is obese and New Zealand is the third most obese country in the OECD.
Public health specialists insist the best starting place is to take GST off fruit and veg and curb the advertising on junk food and drink.
They hope that will change New Zealander’s attitudes and prevent the need for such extreme measures.
3 News