Pacific nations battle obesity epidemic focus 04/12/2011

Pacific nations battle obesity epidemic

focus

04/12/2011
NUKU’ALOFA — On Tonga’s supermarket shelves, huge cans of corned beef the size of paint tins replaced traditional fare such as fish and coconuts long ago — contributing to an obesity epidemic that sees the Pacific region ranked as the fattest in the world.

Meat in Tonga almost invariably comes in a tin, whether it be turkey breast, meat loaf, luncheon meat or Spam, which can be bought in a variety of forms including smoked, with chilli or laced with cheese for an extra calorie hit.

The common denominator, Tonga’s Chief Medical Officer Malakai Ake says, is that the “junk meat” is loaded with salt and saturated fats, meaning islanders’ waistlines continue to expand..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110412com3.html