Preaching the word on fitness

The Rev Uea Tuleia says he is battling smoking, supporting people with their eating habits and warning people off fizzy drinks. Picture / Dean Purcell

When the Rev Uea Tuleia stands up in front of his congregation and encourages them to get active, he's not full of talk.

The 55-year-old, who leads the Otara Pacific Islanders Presbyterian Church and once weighed in at 140kg, is right there with them.

"I know it's good, as a leader it reflects well on my own ministry. It's no good preaching and you being fat. I practise what I preach," said Mr Tuleia.

The Otara Church is one of 50 Pacific Island churches to receive a one-off grant from the Counties Manukau District Health Board as part of its LotuMoui programme, to support health promotion and disease prevention.

"We are pushing for smokefree, supporting people with their eating habits and warning people off fizzy drinks and to using water," said Mr Tuleia, now down to 89kg.

Pacific people fare worse when it comes to a range of health measures. They are twice as likely as European New Zealanders to be diagnosed with diabetes and are also more likely to be obese or overweight. A 2002 study found about 60 per cent of Pacific children were overweight or obese.

Nearly 35 per cent of Pacific men and about 32 per cent of Pacific women smoke, compared with figures that hover around 20 per cent for European New Zealanders.

Because the church plays such a big part in many Pacific people's lives - census figures for 2001 showed 84 per cent of Pacific people were affiliated to a church or religious organisation - the district health board held a symposium of church leaders last year who agreed on a plan to try to improve the health of their congregations.

Pacific health programme manager Rachel Enosa-Saseve said each church received either $3000 or $5000 towards a programme chosen by the congregation. Some held regular exercise classes in the church hall, others ran karate or rowing programmes.

Sunday School classes had started incorporating exercise for children. Nutritionists also offered advice on reading food labels and the nutritional content of different foods.

All the churches aim to be smokefree by the end of next year.

Mrs Enosa-Saseve said that although the programme began only at the end of June, positive results were already being reported from weight loss and improved blood pressure readings to completion of first aid courses.

Mother-of-five Faafetai Tauiliili has attended exercise classes at the Otara Samoan Methodist Church hall three times a week since the end of June and has lost about 8kg.

"On the first day it was really hard. I would get puffy. Sometimes I would feel like not doing it for half an hour, it's tiring," she said.

But now the 50-year-old, whose husband and three daughters exercise with her, looks forward to the classes.

"I feel much different than when I was bigger. I feel more attractive."

Mrs Tauiliili has also started eliminating fatty foods from the family's diet. Chicken with the skin off has replaced mutton flaps. Meal portions are also more closely monitored.

"Before the exercise class I would always put everything on the table and everyone would help themselves. Now I dish out the dinner for each person ... once you have finished the food on the plate, that's it."

For Mr Tuleia the church-run exercise class supplements a personal regime.

"It brings people together."

LOTUMOUI PROGRAMME

Lotu means "church" or "pray" in most Pacific languages. Moui - in Tongan and Niuean - means good health, encompassing the mind, body and spirit.