Gov’t would have to ignore public backlash to fight diabetes
President of the BVI Diabetes Association Dr Sharlon Lewis said the government would have to be willing to ignore public opinion if it chooses to restrict food items that contribute to high sugar intake and diabetes in the territory.
Dr Lewis shared her opinion on the Omoja radio show earlier this week, during a discussion on the factors that contribute to diabetes prevalence in the BVI. She said sugary foods that contribute to diabetes are more accessible in the BVI than they were in the past. But she said public backlash is likely if the authorities implement measures to restrict access to foods that contribute to the lifestyle disease.
“I think here (in the BVI) sometimes policies are dictated by public opinion and it’s not always about public opinion. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and do what is best for your people,” Dr Lewis said. “So if we decide that we’re going to put this policy in place (a ban on certain products) and there’s a backlash, your back has to be broad to take it because you have to do what is best for your population.”
Dr Lewis also said diabetes continues to thrive in BVI and many countries in the Caribbean partly because people have turned away from their traditional foods and have adopted poor dietary practices from foreign cultures.
“From a Caribbean point of view, I think we need to reject some of the detrimental practices we’ve inherited from foreign cultures. The eating of these processed foods; we have a lot of tarts and cakes and puddings in our culture but we didn’t have all these processed bags of chips and things. They have an effect on our taste buds, appetite and consumption. We don’t need that. We have things here that we can give our own people from our own land that do quite fine,” Dr Lewis stated.
She added: “Reject the westernised way of living and eating. Let’s get back to what we as Caribbean people know. We used to go to the beach, hike in the hills, and walk to our neighbour’s house. All these things contribute to our health.”
Statistics show that North America and the Caribbean are ranked 4th in the world with a diabetes prevalence rate of 11 percent among adults between the ages of 20-79. This prevalence rate is expected to increase to some 13 percent by 2045.
In 2019, the country in the Americas with the highest death rate due to diabetes was Guyana. Several Caribbean countries were in the top 10, including Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti which placed third and fourth, respectively.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE US TO EXERCISE ON THE FIELD?
I totally agree. Put a ban on all them sweeties. Just ban them.
Soft selling fried food and soda’s at schools for a start. It is disgusting seeing young children getting the same deep fried food. Some parents are too lazy to make their child a healthy homemade lunch. Put in the effort and help the kids out, it is your job as parents, to lead by example. NHI won’t handle the impending diabetes crisis in this country.
Look at all the sweet foods on breakfast menus. makes u sick just to see them.
Okay let’s say persons that be are serious about this growing problem; Perhaps
1. Ensure healthy options are offered at public school cafeterias; vegetables are given within the portion control plate. Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health
2. Persons can actually afford to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at the supermarkets (who touching that one)
3. Monitor parents in daycare, infant, Primary School carry healthy options to school from home. (Social Development Department maybe).
4. Public campaign to influence eating habits…vegetables are hardly seen on plates in the BVI. Out dietary habits need to evolve as we evolve.( who will…)
If you do these and other things, you are serious, if not just a hot air exercise. I know you are talented and capable. All the best.
It’s just not sugary foods, french fries and fried chicken the staple of the obese islanders
How about lowering the cost for healthy foods especially fruits that have a short shelf life and increasing the prices of junk foods such as candies, etc. If i want to eat healthy it costs too much so what you think i would go for, junk food cause it cheaper.
BREADS are the #1cause.
Dr Lewis, I fear you have many uphill tasks to overcome. First, you belong to the Alopathic medical system that believes in the germ theory and as such, uses only drugs to address chronic diseases. This is the very reason the Medical system still dont know the cure for acid reflux or high blood pressure. Until medical Doctors embrace Alopathic system, the plague of chronic diseases like Diabetes will not remain. Secondly, we are in democracy, You cannot legislate on peoples choise of foods. Will you also ban people from cooking their beans with sugar as we do here? You might as well ban people from smoking. Impossible. Solution: Heallthy life style requires discipline. Encourage this with annual reasonable NHI refunds to those who maintain healthy life style which are never a burden on NHI from year to year. Those who choose to ignore these precaustions should pay more for NHI. Since the commencement of NHI, I have not been a burden on NHI. I spend so much to buy my supplements and healthy foods but NHI wont cover supplements. Those who choose to eat junk foods, fall sick to drain NHI purse. People should pay for their habits. For now, it is the disciplined who pay the price for the indisciplined. Our local diets are more starch but they are not as bad as processed foods and can be lowered on glycemic index with vegetables harvested from soils rich in essential minerals. Avoid carbonated drinks during meals. Avoid gluten foods and take digestive enzymes (Probiotics, Prebiotics). Let me know if you have questions