A new report shows children in New Zealand need better food.

The Healthy Food Environment report has found one fifth of preventable deaths are related to unhealthy diets and one in eight children live in households where there's not enough to eat.

It's calling for government changes towards healthy, sustainable food systems.

Auckland University lecturer Sally Mackay says kids are exposed to a lot of unhealthy marketing.

She says government regulation could stop them being bombarded by ads.

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