18 May 2015

Cook Islands health department digests WHO obesity figures

7:47 am on 18 May 2015

The director of public health in the Cook Islands says she's not sure how the World Health Organisation came to conclude that her country is the fattest in the world.

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Photo: AFP

According to the WHO, 50.8 percent of Cook Islanders are obese -- the highest rate in the world.

But the director of the public health department, Neti Herman, says she's not sure how this rate was determined, but does admit the country has a problem with obesity.

"How did they come to this percentage? We are concerned about this article and we are doing everything we can in the Cook Islands to try and address this issue about obesity."

Neti Herman says her department is working with the WHO and hopes to discuss the figures with them soon.

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