I was wading through the paper this morning, working my way past the acres of royal visit coverage.

Royal visits are fascinating to watch. Not because of what the Royals do but the way we observe them

For instance, we learnt who made the $900 trench coat, it was Karen Walker, and also the fact that Meghan was wearing a $100 dress underneath. This is a virtue signalling festival with small symbolisms scattered through for those bothered to spot them.

The fact that Meghan uses a vegan dye for her hair. Her use of Te Reo to start a speech about suffrage.

Then there was the crowds' use of symbolism. The presentation of a Buzzy Bee to Harry, a tradition now a generation long. There was the extraordinary hysteria. The tears, the exclamation that these two were the most beautiful people some new Zealanders had ever seen. I don’t get that level of adoration at all but it’s there. at least 3000 people turned up to the War Memorial for a wreath-laying!

Big ups to 80-year-old Brian Henderson, who drove in from his retirement home in Taita because, and I quote, “ it’s Sunday in Wellington and there’s nothing else to do”.

Anyway as I waded through this fluff the next biggest headline came on Page seven.

It was about obesity and the cancer risks it creates. Each year 1200 cancer cases are attributed to obesity and the Cancer Society says it is preventable

The headline was a quote and it was “Pie and a Coke for breakfast is the norm”.

It came from the story of Leitu Tufuga's fantastic weight loss. Eight years ago she weighed 137 kilograms, she now weighs 50 kilograms less. But while she’s done an amazing job she is concerned at the saturation of fatty food outlets in deprived areas, which led to the quote which became the headline.

Leitu said the weight loss was hard in her neighbourhood because there are takeaway joints everywhere and barely any fruit and veggie shops

This, of course, plays into the Cancer Society message that urges the Government to introduce policies to reduce the sale, supply and availability of fast foods, sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco.

It’s an age-old debate this country has been having, yet I become less sympathetic year by year as it is full of self-defeatism.

I don’t live in a deprived area and in my neighbourhood, there is only one fruit and veggie shop that I’ve never been to because it’s too expensive. There are over 20 fast food outlets within one kilometre of my front door. From KFC, to fish and chips, a multitude of burger joints and a couple of Hollywood Bakeries with lovely pies. With all that temptation I still don’t have a pie and a coke for breakfast on a daily basis.

By my calculation, a pie and a coke cost $7.50. This morning I had two pieces of toast and two eggs. Two 60 cent eggs. I wouldn’t have spent more than $1.50.

It’s starting to do my head in. Are you really living in a deprived area if you’re blowing $7.50 every day on an unhealthy breakfast? Maybe I’m being insensitive but if Leitu Tufuga can do it, then others can do without the Government wading in and telling everyone what to eat and drink.