The Helen Clark Foundation wants widespread change to address New Zealand's high obesity rate

Its report recommends government policy interventions to improve the proportion of healthy food available.

It also suggests restricting the marketing of unhealthy food to children, and adopting new technologies for obesity treatment.

Executive Director Murray Bruges told the Front Page Podcast we should adopt some form of sugary drinks levy and mandate healthy foods in places like schools and hospitals.

He says poor policy around unhealthy food is hurting New Zealanders and the country as a whole - in terms of our health, productivity, and the two-billion it costs our public health system.