Fehoko wants to see what the barriers are that are stopping Pacific families from changing their diets. Photo: 123RF
An Otago University researcher hopes to gain insights into obesity among Pasifika by studying food neophobia - or resistance to new foods.
Dr Edmond Fehoko, of the Department of Human Nutrition, is receiving a NZ$30,000-dollar grant from the Health Research Council.
"Pacific peoples need to shift behaviours, experiences and ideas around food, especially the need to consume so-called 'new foods'," he said.
"In a nutshell, food neophobia is the fear of trying new foods into your daily diets or in your meals. And so, in the literature, a lot of the foods that have been highlighted that are seen as new foods are fruit, veggies, seeds, nuts and whole grain products."
Fehoko wants to see what the barriers are that are stopping Pacific families from changing their diets.
He admits people tend to like what they know, but a lot of young Pacific people have grown up with foods that are not the healthy foods that are now available.
"So I guess my hope in this study is to explore what's holding us back, or what are the barriers, but also see what the potential opportunities there are for Pacific people to start exploring and consuming these new foods into our daily diets," Fehoko said.
Dr Edmond Fehoko Photo: PMN / Supplied
He said the prevalence of obesity in Pasifika populations is the "million-dollar question".
"I think there are a lot of factors and a lot of issues," he said, adding "we can look at monetary, we can look at the social, cultural, but looking we can also look at the systemic issues that take place, in terms of the importation of processed foods into the Pacific," he said.
"From a Pacific lens, I can talk about the importation of processed foods. You go to the Pacific at the moment, and nine times out of 10, everything is in our backyard in terms of the plantation, the crops and also in the sea as well.
"And yet, a lot of our people instead of drinking coconut drink from a coconut, they will just buy from a bottom. Or instead of just drinking Mango drinks, they will buy from a bottle."
"So these are the ongoing issues that are taking place, not just in the Pacific, but also here in Aotearoa, for ethnic and indigenous communities."
Fehoko said Pacifica have the plantation and its availability of fresh food, alongside fresh fish from the sea, but people still reach for bottled versions of mango, coconut and canned tuna.
He said his research will initially focus on Pasifika communities in Otago and Southland, but this could be extended to other regions in future years.
