This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

The World Health Organization says obesity rates are rising in Pacific island countries. So, too, are health problems linked to being overweight.

The WHO says a major reason for the rising obesity rates is an increase in imported foods. It says many Pacific islanders have replaced their traditional diets of vegetables and fruits with imported processed foods.

Dr. Temu Waqanivalu is with the World Health Organization's South Pacific office in Suva, Fiji. He says many of the imported products lack nutritional value. But they are widely available, he says, and often cost less than healthier foods.