This article in the New Zealand Herald bemoans the obesity rates in the Pacific Islands. Something struck me as it talked about the problem being poverty and junk food.
A report published in Forbes magazine said increased Western imports and a significant change in diet due to closer economic ties with the US and New Zealand were partly to blame.Other reasons given for the region’s high obesity rates include a reliance on fatty, nutrient-poor imported foods and a decrease in the amount of physical labour.
“Obesity has become a problem of poverty,” said Daniel Epstein of the WHO Regional Office of Americas. “Poor people have an easier time of eating junk food. People fill up on things that have a high caloric value but little nutritional value.”
And I’m not saying it’s not. However, culturally Pacific Islanders have admired a more robust stature. From Harvard in 1999 regarding eating disorders after the introduction of TV.
Traditionally, Fijians have preferred robust body shapes for both men and women, reflecting the importance placed on generous feeding and voracious eating.
Interesting eh? Do we have a brand new poverty problem? Or are we working to kill a culture? I report, you decide.
