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Tonga prime minister challenges leaders to lose weight

Losing Weight - Level 0

Tonga's prime minister Akilisi Pohiva asked other leaders to fight obesity through a year-long weight-loss challenge. The challenge will start in September. He said: "When we meet the following year, we will weigh in again and see who has lost the most." Leaders have talked about this issue for many years.

Tonga's life expectancy has gone down from 71 to 68 because of obesity. He hopes Pacific islanders will look after their weight if they see their leaders doing the same. Pacific island nations are losing the fight against child obesity. The World Health Organization said 20 per cent of children in 10 Pacific island countries are obese.

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Losing Weight - Level 1

The prime minister of Tonga asked other leaders to fight obesity by taking part in a year-long weight-loss challenge. Akilisi Pohiva will set the challenge when the Pacific Island Forum tales place in the nation of Nauru in September. He said: "We should all get together for a weight-loss competition...so when we meet the following year, we will weigh in again and see who has lost the most." He added leaders had talked about this issue for years, but nothing changed.

Tonga's life expectancy has gone down because of obesity. It has reduced from 71 to 68. He hopes his challenge will get Pacific islanders to lose weight and that they will look after their weight if they see their leaders doing the same. The Pacific Island Forum said Pacific island nations were losing the fight against child obesity. The World Health Organization said 20 per cent of children were obese in 10 Pacific island countries.

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Losing Weight - Level 2

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The prime minister of Tonga has asked other leaders to join the fight against obesity by taking part in a year-long weight-loss challenge. Akilisi Pohiva told a newspaper that he will set the challenge at the Pacific Island Forum in the tiny nation of Nauru in September. He said: "We should all get together for a weight-loss competition for an entire year, so when we meet the following year, we will weigh in again and see who has lost the most." He added: "We have been [talking about] the same issue, over the years but it doesn't seem to work."

Mr Pohiva also spoke about Tonga's life expectancy going down because of obesity. He said: "It is now down to 68 years old. from] 71. It has reduced [a lot]." He hopes his challenge will encourage Pacific islanders to lose weight. He believes they will look after their weight better if they see their leaders doing the same. The Pacific Island Forum said Pacific island nations were losing their fight against child obesity. The World Health Organization said 20 per cent of children between the ages of five and 19 were obese in 10 Pacific island countries.

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Losing Weight - Level 3

The prime minister of Tonga has challenged leaders of other Pacific nations to lose weight. He is asking them to join the fight against obesity by taking part in a one-year-long weight loss challenge. The prime minister, Akilisi Pohiva, told the Samoa Observer newspaper that he will set the challenge when leaders meet at the Pacific Island Forum in the tiny nation of Nauru in September. He said: "We should all get together for a weight-loss competition for an entire year, so when we meet the following year, we will weigh in again and see who has lost the most." He added: "We have been [talking about] the same issue, over the years but it doesn't seem to work."

Mr Pohiva also spoke about Tonga's life expectancy going down because of obesity and weight-related issues. He said: "It is now down to 68 years old, yet at one stage it was 71. It has reduced significantly." He hopes his weight-loss challenge will encourage Pacific islanders to lose weight. He said: "Once the leaders are adapting to that mindset they would be determined to get their people [doing] the same...and go from there." The Secretary General of the Pacific Island Forum said Pacific island nations were losing their fight against child obesity. The World Health Organization said 20 per cent of children between the ages of five and 19 were obese in 10 Pacific island countries.

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