THE perception that being overweight is normal needs to be addressed, Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho told soldiers and police officers from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Niue, Papua New Guinea and Tonga at Nasova yesterday.
“It’s common knowledge that as Pacific islanders, we love our food, and it’s always easy to fall back on the excuse that we are born bigger, so no one is really considered to be overweight in the Pacific context,” Brig-Gen Qiliho told the officers who completed a physical training instructors course yesterday.
“Some treat this as a joke, but the reality is no laughing matter.”
The course was attended by 22 officers from the region and was designed and led by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).
The course began on May 7 focusing on teaching trainees how to design and conduct a range of physical training classes, sport and recreational events and fitness tests.
Brig-Gen Qiliho said although being overweight was considered normal within our region, it was an issue that needs addressing.
More on this story in today’s edition of The Fiji Times and in our E-Edition.
