The Cook Island News reports that child health – and specifically, childhood obesity – was a major theme of the recent Cook Islands Ministry of Health Annual Conference held in Rarotonga.

Two studies were presented to the conference which highlighted the increase in childhood overweight and obesity in this Pacific Nation, affecting around a quarter of primary school students and a third of secondary school students.

Psychologist Margaret Weston spoke about family intervention in childhood obesity, and particularly how parents and carers can have difficulties managing their children’s eating.

She said some of the issues they can encounter include feeling frustrated about their child’s weight and feeling blamed for it, having difficulty monitoring and controlling their child’s eating behaviors, and not knowing how to introduce lifestyle changes to their families.

Ms Weston also highlighted the success of the Lifestyle Triple P program in helping parents deal with these issues.

Conference co-founder Dr. Kiki Maoate, a New Zealand-based paediatric surgeon, said that although the role of legislation was crucial, education and involving the wider community was also vitally important.