南非廚師阿爾伯特在新西蘭一家餐館工作了六年，如今因為太胖在更新工作簽證時被拒，面臨被驅逐。新西蘭移民局官員稱，阿爾伯特體重130公斤，不符合可接受的健康標準，這樣的體重可能導致糖尿病、高血壓、心臟病等健康問題，會對國家醫療服務造成負擔。

奇怪的是，2007年阿爾伯特和妻子馬爾蒂從南非搬到新西蘭克賴斯特徹奇市時，他的體重達160公斤。他的妻子表示，之前每年申請工作簽證都沒有問題；在他的體重比六年前輕了30公斤，移民局卻以體重為由拒絕給他們工作簽證。

新西蘭是肥胖率最高的發達國家之一，全國將近30%的人口超重。移民局發言人表示,外來移民需要達到一個合格的健康標準，使新西蘭醫療服務的開支和需求最小化。

Nearly 30% of adults are overweight in New Zealand

Authorities in New Zealand have told a South African chef he is too fat to be allowed to live in the country.

Immigration officials said Albert Buitenhuis, who weighs 130kg (286 pounds), did not have "an acceptable standard of health".

He now faces expulsion despite shedding 30kg since he moved to the city of Christchurch six years ago.

New Zealand has one of the highest obesity rates in the developed world, with nearly 30% of people overweight.

Mr Buitenhuis and his wife, Marthie, moved from South Africa to Christchurch in 2007. At the time, the chef weighed 160kg.

Until now, their annual work visas had been renewed with "very little problem", his wife said.

"We applied year after year and there were no issues," she said.

"They never mentioned Albert's weight or his health once and he was a lot heavier then."

But in early May, the couple was told their work visas had been declined because of Mr Buitenhuis's weight.

"The irony is that at the moment he weighs less than when we first arrived in New Zealand and also less than in his first medical, which was accepted by [immigration authorities]," his wife said.

The couple has appealed to New Zealand's immigration minister, citing the chef's recent weight loss.

An immigration spokesman said Mr Buitenhuis's application had been rejected because his obesity put him at "significant risk" of complications including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

"It is important that all migrants have an acceptable standard of health to minimise costs and demands on New Zealand's health services," he said.

(Source: BBC News)

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（中國日報網英語點津 實習生 張益欣，編輯 Helen ）