Otago and Southland adults may have become a little lazier between 2002 and 2007, according to estimates from the New Zealand Health Survey.
Otago District Health Board Health Eating Healthy Action manager Ruth Zeinert, in a report to go before the two district health boards' community and public health advisory committee next week, says the estimates show the percentage of people who were sedentary in Otago has doubled in five years, now standing at 12.9%.
The sedentary are defined as those doing less than 30 minutes physical activity a week. In the 2002-03 survey, the percentage was 6%. The national average is 12.2%.
Southland estimates indicated that 14.6% of its population might be sedentary, up from 8.4% in the 2002-03 survey.
Those estimated to be carrying out the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity a day for at least five days a week has also declined, from 63.1% to 60.9%.
At that rate, however, Otago was still well ahead of the national average which was 51.4%.
And while Otago people might be doing less exercise, their obesity rates (those with a body mass index equal or greater than 30) have remained stable at around 23%, while those considered overweight dropped slightly to 33.4%.
In Southland, there was an increase in the percentage estimated to be obese, with 31.1% in that category, compared with the national rate of 25.4%.
In Otago and Southland, fruit intake has improved, although both provinces are still slightly below the national average of 59.2% of people who are eating two or more servings a day.
Vegetable intake has declined a little.
Only about 71 % in both provinces are estimated to be eating three or more servings a day, although this is still well above the national rate of 62.6%.
Ms Zeinert's report does not give the number of participants on which the estimates are based.
National results show that 1101 adults took part in the 2006-07 survey in the South Island (excluding Canterbury).
