Sera Navuga 
Pediatrician Dr Rigamoto Taito is urging parents and guardians to prioritize nutrition and healthy lifestyles as essential to their children’s development.
Speaking to FBC News after the Pacific and Society Emergency Care meeting in Nadi, she outlined a worrying trend where undernutrition and childhood obesity exist side by side.
“Educating families with the choices of foods. Given that there’s a lot of pressure or there’s a lot of advertisements around not very healthy foods. Like noodles and fizzy drinks and things like that. And moving away from using the home-grown food, the natural food. So I think education will go a long way. But also supporting the socio-economic factors that help support families.”
Dr Taito explained that this issue affects both rural and urban communities.
She noted that while undernutrition often results from food insecurity, rising childhood obesity is linked to dietary changes and increased consumption of processed foods.
She emphasized that addressing these challenges requires a coordinated effort from society as a whole.
As Fiji continues to modernize and develop, Dr Taito stressed that children’s health must remain a national priority.
With sustained investment in healthcare, education, and policy reforms, she believes the country can build a healthier and more resilient future for its youngest generation.
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