Every day the issue of obesity is in the news and experts provide many different reasons why populations all over the world are getting bigger.

One thing that most experts agree on is that most people in the developed world including New Zealand are eating more energy-rich foods than they need. These foods which are very are high in fats and sugars, and also often high in salt.

Soana Muimuiheata, is a dietitian working with Pacific people for ProCare in South Auckland. She looks at ways of motivating people to change their eating habits by asking them about what they eat, and how much they eat and when they eat.

“Food is very important to Pacific families and we often don’t think about it as good food, or bad food. It is just the food we have available or the food we can afford or the food we like to eat.”

“But we need to be thinking about what’s in the food. Whether or not it is the best food we can be giving to our families.”

Soana uses models of different foods to show families what is inside different types of foods they eat. She shows how much fat is in common meals like corned beef and coconut cream or how much fat someone can avoid by making a simple swap from dark blue milk to light blue milk in one year.

“Even small changes in what we eat such as eating more fruits and vegetables, eating breakfast everyday and changes in how much we eat, and how we prepare food are going to make a difference,” says Soana.

Soana also works with lifestyle coordinators to build the capacity of two Tongan community groups in Franklin  and Papakura. Each of the community groups consists of up to 30 families.

Soana and the coordinators work to deliver training, physical activity and programmes such as the ‘biggest loser’ competition and family vegetable gardening.