Nine of world's 10 most obese countries are in the Pacific

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND: Nine of the 10 countries with the highest levels of obesity in the world are in the Pacific Islands region, claims World Health Organization (WHO).

According to New Zealand Media, The Cook Islands top the list; comprising of 15 islands, these tourism hotspots have a total population of 13,496, claims website countrymeters.info.

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"The Pacific now is in the midst of an NCD (non-communicable disease, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes) crisis and the problem appears to be intensifying," WHO's Pacific Health Systems and Policy Team Leader, Ezekiel Nukuro, told Radio New Zealand.

"NCDs now account for about three out of every four deaths reported in the Pacific Islands," he said.

According to WHO, 50.8 per cent of Cook Islanders are obese, as are 45 per cent of the inhabitants of Palau and Nauru and 43 per cent of those of Samoa, Tonga and Niue.

Obesity affects 42 per cent of Marshall Islanders, a level similar to Qatar, the only non-Pacific country to make it to the top 10.

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Kiribati and Tuvalu round out the list with obesity levels at 40 per cent in these Pacific Island nations.

Nukuro said the region was taking steps to address problems resulting from smoking, alcohol consumption, poor nutrition and lack of physical exercise.