The idea of a weight loss competition among Pacific leaders is not yet on the agenda for the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Nauru, Tonga's prime minister says.
'Akilisi Pohiva returned to Parliament to be sworn in Photo: Tonga Parliament
'Akilisi Pohiva said he was just joking when he suggested the competition, which spread to news websites around the world.
"We have to make it part of the agenda, but it is still an issue. No one is quite prepared to put it through as part of an issue or part of the agenda for the Forum meeting in Nauru. It's a good idea but we still have to discuss it," Mr Pohiva said.
The Pacific had been struggling to cope with obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for years but little progress had been made, he said.
NCDs were the biggest health threat confronting Pacific countries, the prime minister said.