title: The seafood-nutrition-health paradigm of South Pacific islanders.
abstract: Research was undertaken between December 2001 and July 2002 in six Tongan rural communities to clarify whether the reduced intake of fresh fish and an increased consumption of tinned fish are directly related to lifestyle disease risk. It was further investigated if the ratio of tinned to fresh fish consumption can be used as an easy-to-measure indicator of lifestyle change, and hence risk of lifestyle diseases. The relationship between fresh fish (and seafood) and tinned fish consumption is selected as a possible proxy indicator for lifestyle and dietary changes. Obesity is used as an indicator of lifestyle disease risk and/or occurrence. Significant differences are found between the six data sets regarding quantities of fresh fish and tinned fish consumption. However; no significant variation is found between villages in the levels of obesity. The results of this survey clearly highlight that neither fresh fish (seafood) nor tinned fish consumption significantly relates to obesity. It is therefore concluded that assessing fresh and tinned fish intake only is not sufficient to identify changes in lifestyle, which are associated with increased risks of lifestyle diseases.
authors.affiliation: Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Reef Fisheries Observatory, Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia. MeckiK@spc.int
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kronen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Snowdon
authors.forename: J Tunidau
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet / Q000639:trends*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005396:Fish Products; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017747:Seafood; D014058:Tonga / Q000453:epidemiology