What is overweight, obese, abdominally obese and what do these labels mean? Does weight loss mean improved health and function? Should the same criteria be used for everyone? Should cut-offs be used to classify populations or individuals? Evidence about body size across the lifespan and from ethnically diverse groups in New Zealand will be presented. This contemporary picture of the shape and size of New Zealand people will include measurements from the Pacific Island Family study, the 2002 Child Nutrition Survey, the Metformin in Gestational diabetes follow-up study, Te Wai o Rona diabetes prevention strategy, Project Energize in the Waikato and others. Ethnic groups include Māori, Pacific, European, Chinese and Indian. The life course approach will be advocated and examples of the “developmental origins of health and disease” used to support a call for environmental strategies that will improve the health and nutrition of future parents.