Tonga's Prime Minister has repeated his call for Pacific Forum Leaders to go on a weight loss competition to champion the Pacific's campaign against junk food.
He's told the Forum partners dialogue with business leaders that participating Forum Leaders can be weighed on a regular basis, with the winner being the person who loses the most weight and those leaders who have not lost or have gained weight also being awarded a prize - they will get bicycles.
Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa responded in kind to the weight loss challenge from Tonga's Prime Minister, welcoming it but noting his colleague would win it all the time - and that the challenge needed to consider those like Nauru's President who were made of muscle.
On a sobering note, he says the non-communicable disease pandemic is claiming too many lives in the Pacific.
Leaders have collectively expressed their grave concern at the Forum with the increasing high rates of NCDs being the leading cause of premature deaths in the Pacific.
They are now committing to leading a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to address NCDs, especially child obesity and the early symptoms during early childhood.