The Dominica Diabetes Association (DOMDA) is raising deep concerns as it relates to an increase in obesity among children and young people on the island.
President of DOMDA, Marvlyn Birmingham raised the concern while addressing the DOMDA Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Public Service Union (PSU) building on Wednesday.
“The Dominica Diabetes Association is extremely concerned with a seemingly increasing trend in obesity especially among the children and young people,” she said.
Birmingham said the DOMDA is focusing attention on that area, adding that the organization is equally concerned that there appears to be very little ongoing public education and consultation on the quantity of drinks children consume.
“There is little public education on the quantity of sugar in soft drinks that our children consume every day and therefore it is fit that the intended outcomes may not be realized,” she stated. “In addition, it is unclear whether a mechanism is in place for monitoring and evaluating policies.”
Recently a tax on sugary foods was passed in parliament and revenue collected was to be earmarked for a “get healthy campaign” but Birmingham questioned whether it is being monitored.
“Who is monitoring whether the sugar tax is correctly applied?” Birmingham asked. “Who is monitoring consumer behaviour? Are people choosing the healthy choice, or are consumers looking for cheaper substitutes that are even more dangerous to their health?”
She indicated that instead of talking about the gaps that exist in the system, “let us take meaningful, positive, collective action, action that becomes beneficial to the people of Dominica.”
Birmingham stated that the DOMDA also lends support to the school health and nutrition policy now in its consultative phase.
“The association anticipates aggressive implementation of all aspects of that policy and we stand ready to assist in that regard,” she noted.
As the words of a religious song: “If I can help somebody, then my living shall not be in vain.” This is one of the primary reasons we are really here for.
Granted, one day, if we do not die suddenly as in an accident, we will get sick and die. That is life and a way of life. However, we could try to remain healthy and live longer if we eat and drink healthily. This is achieved by maintaining it.
God gave us fruits and vegetables for good reasons. Adults, if they are expensive to purchase, try growing your own if you have space in your back yard or on the side of it. You will be surprised how much you could save. You know what you grow, how it is prepared and what you eat with no preservatives..
Some do not make the most of fruits and vegetables. We cannot go wrong eating them.
You can drink fruits, even some vegetables. Simply make smoothies with them. There are recipes on recipe websites.
Parents, take charge of your health and your children’s.
Everything should be done, eaten and drank in moderation. How about making and drinking homemade soup, potato; also sweet potato, carrot, cabbage, spinach, etc. If you wish, you could either blend or mince them. These are my favorites. Just do not make them too thick and put a lot of meat and pasta in them. Season your soup wit herbs. Be frugal with salt.
Cook with onions, garlic and herbs; not half of an onion. Use the entire onion and some minced garlic. It is stated onions, garlic and herbs are healthy for us. Are you aware you can bake onion and roast garlic? You will also find these on recipe websites; simple Google them.
Those of you who have a computer and internet service, make the most and best of them.
Google these for additional information and also recipes. I learned a lot about them. I copy and save relevant and important information for future reference and also forward to others. We must share such matters with others.
Parents and children must be counseled about healthy eating. If they do not pay heed there is nothing you can do. In the end they will have to bear unhealthy consequences. Nevertheless, keep at it. A healthy body in a healthy mind cannot be purchased. They must be healthily preserved and in order to live a relatively long, healthy life.
But the way some people talk about fat people, you would swear they were talking about drug dealers or murderers. I can understand constructive criticism, but some of us wait for these reports to spew venom. You have the right to your opinion that fat people are unattractive and unhealthy, but being slim doesn’t mean that you are sexy or healthy. Stop trying to body shame people, and deal with your underlying insecurities.
Really, some people carry their weight very well, if you know what I mean.
When some people are skinny, some will ask, do they not eat? As I had stated, it depends on their physic – a pet, short word which is used where I reside for “physical body.”
I would not attack them. I give advice. Granted, some do attack them and in comments. It is not a nice think to do. I also know a few who appear overweight but I never frown on them or make fun of them. They are my friends. They talk about weight-loss and I listen and may offer my opinion. Some do want to lose weight. They try to do so but they can’t. Others lose and soon gain it back. When they lose I compliment them
If you look at men and women everyone has a different size. There are some as they grow older they tend to put on weight. I also recently heard this on the News.
What is important is to visit the doctor to ensure that they are healthy and try to eat healthily..
The problem is that we as a people have become very lazy , which has caused a high demand of G.M foods to replace our local and naturally feeding, leading us to obesity in the children and even the grown ups, therefore we should get back to our customary ways of getting our foods and start going back to our more natural diets starting with the grown ups and then the children must follow, because they only learn what they see.
Cost of living is much too high here. The basic food items which every family should be able to afford to feed their children are very expensive! Therefore most parents have to settle for buying the unhealthy foods to feed the hungry stomachs of their children. They cant be left hungry! I suggest the Consumer Protection Department be revived to seriously do something about the price of basic food items especially. It is time we think about saving our society and by extension our country from ‘death by unhealthy eating’ Personally I think it is wicked and selfish the way merchants price their good here. I am ready to move back out of Dominica even for that reason.
The same where I reside. We really cannot win. There are times the grocery stores have reasonable sales also on fruits and vegetables. If they are what we want, we grab them. The stores do compete with each other.
Those who have the time to go out of their way to the markets do so. It costs time and fuel for their vehicles. For this reason, there are times it is better to purchase in the neighborhood.
As the years progress costs escalate. I always say, income does not increase or hardly ever and with a pittance and all costs escalate. Therefore, most are frugal with their spending. These are the times we reside in.
This matter should be addressed on different fronts.
Firstly, he Ministry of Health needs to lead by example because there are too many fat health officials and nurses,
Secondly, parents are no example to the kids. They eat unhealthy and train the kids to eat unhealthy. Don’t you see the fat kids walking alongside their fat mothers? This problem should be addressed in the schools where kids should be taught healthy eating habits and they inturn will return home to influence their parents. Sponsoring a meal or snacks for kids will be a valuable investment.
Thirdly a eat local campaign can be started in which local dishes and juices are promoted. A local recipe book for kids can be developed. We just assume kids know what is healthy eating. Do young children for instance know how to make lime squash.
I second the motion. We must go back to the ways of our fore-parents. We have Ma Topie as an example and many other of our centenarians. Eating healthy can be expensive, as one person commented but we also have to think of other things that we spend money on, such as fake hair, etc.,.
We must realise that if we don’t take care of our bodies, then disease and sickness will be imminent. Our parents were not wealthy, as far as money was concerned but they were intelligent, by planting to eat healthy. The ministry of health must also play a greater part in educating the populace and also, parents need to be encouraged to do better in providing healthy foods for their children. I agree that there should be an eat local campaign and our people need to be educated as how to eat healthy.
If we continue to consume these deadly foods like we have been doing, our lives will be shortened.
THINK LIFE
To the question of who is monitoring tax and consumer behavior, i say people should be responsible for thier deng selves and the public should ensure tax is applied as legislated. Parents must be responsible for what thier kids consume. We all know most Dominicans dont care about themselves nor thier kids future so why bother. When it reaches the dark place they will be scrambling for candles. Dominica society already lost and only thing to save it is change from the very top. We like the old days when the israeliets experience wars, diseases, farmine, disaster, and corruptness. Doing the right thing is never an easy choice.
Also we celebrate fatness with our nonsense ms. big and beautiful pageant. Yes we have to appreciate women, but these are not healthy women. why not put them through a program like the biggest loser show to have them document their success in weight loss and body transformation, culminated (ended) with the show where they dress up and show off their hard work. that could be a nice twist as opposed to just celebrating and promoting these fat women and obesity.
That’s a great idea!
I recommend Mr. Alexander Laville to be the trainers in an event such as this.
Big up to you and Mac’s Gym, Laville.
For Dominica, there are fat men too you know. Stop bashing the women.
That that good for them. Hre we have the mentality that fat is healthy. If you slim/skinny dominicans talk about you like your have aids. Woman talking about they want man with big stomach because they want somethig to hold on to. Meanwhile they dont know big stomach is prostate and colon problems and you just killing youself and setting youself up for lung and heart problems. Man was woman that extra thick, and woman say is so the man like it. Meanwhile their blood pressure sky high, they always sick and coughing. Parents giving children sugar laden foods and drinks early in the day till late at night. Government (local and national) not developing the local community facilities so the people can be active and exercise and play safely in the afternoons and weekends. Take pride in yourselves. We should have a competition for which community have the fattest people.
While obesity might be a concern it is no surprise. Actually it is to be expected in a nation where there are no jobs and families suffer from low income. How can we practice good eating habits when the good stuff out price our pockets? Good living comes at a cost and at the moment there’s only an elite few that can afford it.
Thats just another side effect when you’ve killed agriculture, junk food
My take on that …2 things. 1 – we are the parents and we buy the food 2- economic situation causes parents to buy the least expensive things we can stretch, like rice etc.