Yesterday National MP Mark Mitchell has broken ranks with his leaders after Collins and Gerry Brownlee both laid the blame for obesity on personal responsibility.
Collins said she describing it as a weakness and saying that people should not "blame systems for personal choices."
GPs yesterday said her comments were “demeaning” and “dismally disappointing”.
“For a New Zealand leader to make those comments is really demeaning to people who are affected by obesity... it’s a hugely complex issue and it’s absolutely not that simple,” Dr Lynn McBain, who runs a GP clinic in Wellington, told The New Zealand Herald.
Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking this morning, Collins said the negative reaction had surprised her.
"I was simply saying people do need to know what to do and need to take personal responsibility.
"It's not that hard... the science is there."
Collins said professional boxer-turned health guru Dave "The Brown Buttabean" Letele was "a bit of a character."
Letele is among community voices who have condemned Collins' comments. He is now well-known for his work to tackle obesity within the Pacific and Māori communities particularly in South Auckland and West Auckland.
Collins acknowledged that the work Letele is doing in the community is exactly what she was calling on people to do.
On the discussion around the Green Party's wealth tax policy and the possibility of a Labour-Green coalition, Collins said: "We know what their fall back is always - which is to tax."
"They can't grow the economy because they have no plans to do it."
Collins hit out at the media, saying the treatment of Labour leader Jacinda Ardern meeting large crowds at shopping malls compared to the treatment of her walkabout in Ponsonby - when claims of a rent-a-crowd of National supporters were brought in to make her look better - was "pathetic".
"If I'm out there talking about policy, I'm not gonna be at the mall."
Collins said at times she felt like she was speaking to press secretaries for Ardern instead of reporters and believed there needed to be more diversity in the press gallery.
Come Saturday, Collins said she wanted to see Labour below her.
"I hope that they land in a position below us, actually, with Act."
She said she still believed National could win the election - but said that was why they needed people to give their party vote to National.
"Yeah, we can [win], actually. But it is very hard."
Collins said she believed the Act Party would get over the line and also thought the Māori Party would get at least one seat.
