Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says the Government is not doing enough to tackle the country's rising rate of Type 2 diabetes.
A study has indicated New Zealand has one of the highest rates of the disease among developed countries.
The study, published in The Lancet journal, found blood glucose levels - which indicate diabetes - were highest in the United States, Greenland, Malta, New Zealand and Spain.
Mrs Turia says she is now free of diabetes following a stomach stapling operation. She says the Government needs to prioritise diabetes control and fund more surgical interventions.
Health advocacy group Fight the Obesity Epidemic says the Government is wasting its time trying to educate people about diabetes and obesity prevention.
Instead, it says, the Government should legislate to ban advertising junk food to children and to make healthy food more affordable.
