Average BMI of 33 - The obesity problem in the South Pacific

The South Pacific Cook Islands can adorn themselves with a superlative that unfortunately has many problems: The island state officially has the fattest population in the world. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 51 percent of the population has a body mass index of over 30. In Germany, this proportion is around 25 percent - which is also unpleasantly high, but still a long way from the Cook Islands.

More than half of the island's inhabitants suffer from morbid obesity. This has drastic consequences: obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and strokes, and life expectancy is shortened.

The Cook Islands are not alone in the southern Pacific with the problem: in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Nauru and Vanuatu, too, many simply have too much on their ribs. In the list of countries with the highest proportion of obese people, eight countries from the South Pacific region are among the top ten. But why is that?

We go straight to the search for clues - but before that it's your turn. What do you think:

There is no general answer as to why the South Pacific island states and in particular the Cook Islands have had to contend with morbid obesity in the population in recent decades. According to the WHO, there are several causes. One of them lies in the colonial past of the archipelago.

In 1888 the Cook Islands became a British protectorate, and in 1901 they became the first South Pacific colony of New Zealand, which was then part of the British Empire. The Cook Islands only gained independence in 1965. However, the influence of the British colonial rulers had a drastic effect on the diet of the islanders, who traditionally ate mainly fish and vegetables.

Over time, this traditional diet has been increasingly replaced by imported, unhealthier foods. British researchers from the University of Oxford found this connection in a study from 2014. The formerly natural foods have been replaced by heavily processed industrial foods and canned foods. They have a significantly higher caloric value and often contain more sugar.

Food and feasts are also seen as a sign of appreciation in South Pacific culture. The more you are offered, the more you will be respected. No savings are made here – and holding back is considered impolite. This attitude towards meals could also promote morbid obesity.

As a report by the radio station “Deutschlandfunk Kultur” from 2021 describes, the above-average health care in the region could also be to blame for the morbid obesity. In most South Pacific island countries, including the Cook Islands, locals do not have to pay for their doctor and hospital treatment. The state pays for them.

Many are well aware that it is not healthy to eat so much and that there is a risk of diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. But, says the doctor Saia Pauiele to the "Deutschlandfunk Kultur": "Everyone is currently thinking: We do what we want. If we get sick, they will take care of us for free.”

At least the results of a study from 2016 suggest this connection. The research results of the doctors from the USA and Polynesia refer to the population of Samoa. But the experts believe it is quite possible that a genetic predisposition to obesity can also be found in other South Pacific islanders.

A hereditary factor that promotes the growth of fat cells could be to blame for the high body weight. From an evolutionary point of view, this was even important for survival, the researchers write: the thrift gene for fat reserves ensured the survival of the Samoans in times when there was not enough food. Until colonization, the Samoans ate almost no carbohydrates. Approximately one in four Samoans still carries the variant of the metabolic gene.

Another problem is that many of the islands in the South Pacific hardly ever grow their own food. One of the reasons for this is that tourism is the most important economic sector for most countries there and that is where most of the money can be earned. Instead of growing their own fruit and vegetables, a lot of food is exported from abroad - mostly by ship.

As a result, a large number of the foods offered in Avarua, Suva or Apia supermarkets are highly processed products with many ingredients and preservatives. As a result, some governments are now imposing higher import duties on unhealthy, imported foods. The additional income should then be used to subsidize expenses for health care.

Fitness programs and public sports fields are also intensively promoted. Because although the citizens of the Cook Islands love sports such as rugby, cricket or netball, they rarely play sports themselves in their free time. Other tasks take precedence, such as taking care of the family or doing chores around the house when you are not busy with your regular job.

So the problem of excess pounds in the Cook Islands is based on many different factors. The good news, however, is that there are solutions. The future will show whether and how quickly they work.

You want even more superlatives? Right this way: