Dramatic weight loss on Maori diet

Rob Stoutley before and after his weight loss. Photos / Supplied

A dangerously obese man lost 75kg in a year because he reverted to a "hunter-gatherer" diet, says a fitness expert.

Rob Stoutley, a 40-year-old IT consultant from Auckland, began to struggle with his weight in 2004 after surgery for a serious lung infection.

He spent 12 weeks in intensive care, followed by a heavy course of steroids and instructions to undertake no strenuous exercise. His weight climbed rapidly to 155kg.

Health and fitness expert Geoff Jowett said a traditional Maori diet - a combination of gentle exercise with a diet of lean proteins and an abundance of vegetables - allowed the dramatic loss of 75kg.

"The Maori were originally hunter-gatherers who ate a diet based on birds and fish with herbs and root crops ... The foods that [people] need to eat to stay healthy are the locally caught and grown food of their own country."

Mr Stoutley said all he did was walk 30 minutes a day and eat "the right foods at the right time".