How paradise became the fattest place in the world

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The Pacific islands are home to nine of the top 10 countries for obesity globally. Rates of obesity range from 35% to 50% in the region and one in five children are estimated to be obese.
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The obesity epidemic began with locals turning their backs on traditional diets of fresh fish and vegetables and replacing them with highly processed and energy-dense food such as white rice, flour, canned foods, processed meats and soft drinks imported from other countries. Pictured, a supermarket in Tonga.
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Once a source of their own food, fishermen are today selling their catch to buy large quantities of processed and canned foods, including canned tuna.
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Increasingly sedentary lifestyles have aided the rise in obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for conditions including type II diabetes and diabetes rates have risen dramatically in the region, with almost half of the population diabetic in the Marshall Islands.
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