President of the Dominica Diabetes Association (DDA), Mavlyn Birmingham, is calling for special focus to be placed on youth obesity which she said is creeping into the island.
Speaking at the DDA’s annual general meeting on Wednesday, Birmingham said health education must focus on the youth. “Attention will have to be given in ongoing public education including practical lifestyle intervention and self-management skills with special focus on our youth,” she remarked. “I’m sure you will agree with me that many of our youth are at risk … we see the obesity and the overweight creeping into the younger population. And we need to target the youth as much as possible.”
Burmingham also urged people to assist by dedicating their time and skills to successfully addressing the health issues affecting Dominicans.
“Let us join in the fight and contribute to the health of our nation,” she urged. “This new direction proposed by the association requires committed members and individuals who are willing to dedicate their time and talent and become the proverbial brothers, keepers and I dare say sisters’ keepers as well.”
She further stated that the Diabetes Association “will also have to concentrate on providing support in a tangible way to people living with diabetes.”
“It is imperative that we know who they are, where they live, what are their concerns, what are their needs. And we, as an association, need to take the necessary action to help them to live healthier lives,” she stated.
Burmingham said further that the ability to access important data relating to the diabetes situation and the compilation of a register and research, would enable health officials to better understand and maintain wellness among residents of the island.
thank God i walk to work each day instead of taking the bus and do a lil exercise in the morning, was born big boned so i got keep it healthy also i feed my kids natural healthy foods, friends say to me why dont you give your baby Gerber and the likes i reply i live in the country and i got a blender. kids laugh my son when he goes to school with his sancohe and other local dishes nicely prepared for lunch cause he dont have ramen and mac n cheese with fried chicken ha ha what a joke i grow my own vegie and foods people put to much chemical in vegies now dont trust
one lil girl told him if her mom gave her sancoche for lunch she would throw it in her face tell me where this is headed?
What a rude and disobedient little girl. This one is not properly disciplined. She could have Sancoche with a sandwich. How many people there are in those third world countries (not Dominica) who go hungry and who would love to eagerly accept Sancoche? They would ask for more.
This child needs to learn a lesson in poverty and what it is to be poor. She also should learn love and respect for her mother and humility which is a virtue.
Her mother should expose her to those countries via the Internet, if she has a computer. There are enough programs pertaining to them and those organizations which consistently request donations for them.
It is obvious she knows nothing about what people eat in progressive countries. Some people only bring a sandwich to school or work. Sandwiches could contain tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, etc. If this little girl’s mother has a computer, ask her to access relevant recipes as also sandwiches on those Websites. She could Google them.
Excellent. This is the way to be to keep healthy and also your son. Natural resources are the best way.
Once in a while you could treat yourself to fried chicken, seasoned with herbs, utilizing certain oils for frying or mac n cheese – pasta but not frequently. Pasta could be prepared nutritiously mixed with spinach and other vegetables, utilizing less salt and not overcooking.
Baked chicken is OK. I do believe moderation should be practiced and is one of the keys to healthy eating and good health.
Get Rid of KFC, Pizza, And Chinese food in Dominica and half of the problem will be solved all the cheese and unhealthy oils and fat the Sugar and salt and other preservatives are slow killers.
This Statement “obesity and the overweight creeping into the younger population” Is false focusing just on the youth is not the way to go. In order to Curb Obesity the entire family and household has to be educated. The Youth (Children)are not the ones to blame. Parents have to take full responsibility for what they feed their children. As one responded her stated he/she know in the past that “only old people has Diabetes as High Blood Pressure”. This is not because people develop bad eating habits which lead to these conditions and diseases when they are old and Grey it starts at a very young age. The Parents are the ones shopping for all the unhealthy foods that the young people eat so they have to be educated about feeding there households and the entire family has to make the change. so don’t blame the youth for the creeping in of obesity. Blame the Parents period..
very sad,dominicans have become very lazy,we have all the natural foods in dominica,yet they eat all this imported crap from the us.read the labels of the capri suns and the sodas that they give these kids.
Really? Really? …to provide support in a tangible way…? Too much processed foods are being imported to the island. Little or no exercise. No more walking to the shop or garden,,,well there is hardly any garden anywhere anyway.
I don’t know how that is going to be handled, but the youngsters of today are too laid back. Get them involved in community activities, keep them on the move,,,not sitting and eating and playing video games all day and night.
We are what we eat. It shows on our face and tells on our health.
And to see that Dominica is a tropical country – all year round where most people who own property, could grow some vegetables, be it at the back of their house. They will be less expensive in the long run.
The reason canned and packaged goods were manufactured, they were to serve people in industrial and progressive countries, a quick lunch or dinner.
These days the government and health authorities have made nationals aware that there is too much salt, sugar and sodium in them which cause obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure including other illnesses. It may also lead to heart attack and aneurism.
I will only purchase those canned goods and use them on certain occasions for certain menus but by no means on a daily basis; not even twice weekly if not monthly.
Prior to purchasing a can of beans, I would prefer purchasing a package of beans and soak some overnight and then cook them with garlic and onion and certain herbs/seasonings. It is so delicious and also healthy.
The same applies for salad dressings, tomato ketchup. Make your own. I got into the habit of making them including pepper sauce. I do not eat much of the latter; just a wee bit.
In recent years some changes have been made. Manufacturers are required to decrease salt and sugar and to print the nutritional information and facts. Customers are informed to read them prior to purchasing those items.
As it is said, we must take charge of our health. People are learning gradually. May Dominican residents pay heed and act accordingly.
@ Looking in: There is the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Roseau, we have sunny blue skies and we must be grateful to All Mighty Allah for the flora He has blessed us with.
The youth with obese issues are not utilizing these facilities. I for one go to the gardens all the time and I see families there as well.
What about a good walk to Jack’s Walk? Have we forgotten that as well?
If the 39 steps are still in the Botanical Gardens leading to the Cross at Morne Bruce, this is an excellent form of exercise. The problem today is few walk and exercise.
Due to my schedule, I try to walk a few blocks daily.
In Canada, we are told to try as much as possible to avoid taking elevators and escalators and to walk up and down stairs. We are always in a hurry and lazy too that we do not exercise as we should, especially in a big country.
I recall those days as a child when I would walk up Federation Drive to St. Aromet. I tried it once when I visited Dominica. You can imagine the difficulty and how tired I was. I told some people it is unbelievable that in those days I did not feel tired. Lack of exercise caused this.
In Canada we drive, take the bus and subway. Even though we may walk up elevators and walk for blocks, nevertheless it appears to be insufficient exercise to keep our strength. Some of us could not run a mile.
Growing up only older people I knew with diabetes, and high blood pressure. I am not saying there were not young people with these diseases, but it was few and in-between. It is sad, young people look older than their age.
If we want everything in the fast lane, we will suffer the consequences that come from that life style. Who is going to foot the bill. Eat Healthy,
It is not worth it to suffer needlessly. Don’t make someone rich on your back, while u get sick
I concur.
Go back to doing our own cooking and making our own drinks from scratch. When u have unhealthy people, the home, company and the whole country suffers. Dominica cannot afford to have sick people with complications from diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke.
Who is going to foot these bills from diseases. Wake up the young people of Dominica, stop making someone rich, while you get sick and eventually die from very poor diet. Too much salt, sugar and chemicals in these fast foods.
The same applies for Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. Illness is a financial strain on the system. There are some, for every little ailment they run to the doctor and take medication. They could also take Vitamin C, E and other relevant vitamins rather than medication. Once they commence taking medication, they will be on it for the rest of their life. It could be addictive especially among seniors. We should know that medication does not heal. It only stabilizes the condition. If they are really ill and on the advice of their doctor, must take medication, they must still keep alert for their health condition and ask themselves is it really necessary.
Some will agree that God gave us all the health foods, citrus, vegetables and herbs which are necessary for our health and to keep us alive and happy for many years.
How many people drink a certain amount of water daily? Water is necessary for the blood, for the heart and the brains. If I recall our body consists of 60 per cent water. It is imperative that we replenish the body daily with water – not pop. Consider the hot sun, the heat in a tropical country as Dominica. What do some have for breakfast? I hope oats and cream of wheat rather than cornflakes and the likes. Even some fibers do not contain the full amount of fibers. Proper nutrition is required.
I hope the youth will also be taught about that. Do we ever need to take care of ourselves that we might live a long life. A reflex, this includes driving safely.
When I was growing up, only older people I know had diabetes. Now the young generation has diabetes. When I was growing up, instead of soft drinks, we would squeeze an orange or grapefruit, make guava and passion fruit from scratch and make our juice from scratch. Now the youth get so lazy and want everything fast. Mostly all the foods and drinks are process, with lots of chemicals, preserveatives, salt and other unhealthy things.
Any thing we want to do in the fast lanes, there are serious consequences. Dominica cannot afford to loose this generation. The population is already low, and with diseases that are liked with obesity, financially and medically, we just cannot afford it. If an employer has workers who are always sick, the company, their home and the country suffers.
Lets go back to doing our own drinks and cooking our own foods. Stop making someone rich, while we are sick and eventually will die due to complications from diabetes, high blood pressure,
and stroke. Just think of all the overall hardships. Stay Healthy.
DDA has to be pro-active instead of reactionary!
Since we are in the ‘backyard’ of the US where obesity is prevalent, why wait for our youth to become obese and then to start talking about it. Obesity was marketed to the island in the guise of fastfoods and an “I was born this way” ideology, further punctualted by tight outfits.
It seemed to me, on my recent visit, that sexy meant… belly was overflowing its hem lines and the big behinds…to quote the calypsonian…some men like big bottom, plenty hips…It is a black people thing to think big is sexy…the africans prefer their women big, no surprise big is sexy in the WI.
Not too skinny and not fat – overweight.
We do need to keep a certain amount of flesh on us, you know, in case we get sick – hopefully not soon. 
Exercise as walking is important to also keep the body trim.
Unless this is part of their physic. Some people do. We must know the difference.
If the men like to see their women fat as you mentioned, they, too, must be educated accordingly. What happens? They may see a woman with a trimmer figure and they will go after her.
A man, a woman without a huge belly and behind is much more pleasant to look at.
waaaay too much sugar in fruit juice, (supposed to taste natural fruit not flavoured sugar water),some of the uneducated have been known and seen to add sugar to baby formula.
Too much tv and no reason to get out of the house and use their imagination. Personally I blame the decline on the advent of cable tv to Dominica in the late 80’s
In bygone years how many youths suffered from obesity? Few if any unless they had a glandular problem.
I am trying to recall those with whom I attended elementary and high school. To my knowledge they are all alive today and not overweight. If any have a health problem it developed throughout the years. As it is said, it is part of aging. So far, thank God, I personally do not take medication; have no reason at this time to do so. In later years, if it is necessary, I would avoid it at all costs, if possible for medication do not cure. Prevention is better than cure.
In those days, children and adults walked for miles, to school and to the town; those who resided out of town. This was an excellent form of exercise which we were not aware of but it helped to keep them trim. The trend today is predominantly driving.
They must adopt good eating habits. We do need a certain amount of fat, salt and sugar but not in excess.
Eat less fatty and salty foods; more vegetables, leafy green vegetables, bananas and fruits. Avoid canned foods which are sometimes salty and contain sodium. This includes pretzels, chips and the likes. They taste good but they are salty.
For coffee and tea, a teaspoon or less of sugar is necessary; not a tablespoon.
Water is necessary including milk rather than pop. Eat very little fast foods; less frequently.
A proper breakfast should consist of milk, citrus in the form of natural juice (not concentrated), grapefruits and oranges, bread, fiber as oats, oatmeal, cream of wheat – not the prepared packaged ones but the ones which could be boiled (not over boiled) and fruits. Fruits contain Vitamin C and E and other vitamins which are healthy for us. All in all we should eat and drink in moderation.
President of the DDA consider that with fast food outlets and restaurants which have permeated the country, pertaining to salt, sugar and fat in the menus, you should also address this issue with those owners that they may decrease this intake.
Those of us who are aware of the high content of sugar and salt in canned goods do our utmost to avoid them and eat very little of them if none at all. If canned beans are used, the water in the can should be dispersed off and the beans should be washed to decrease the salt/sodium.
Avoid eating heavy meals late at night.
The government in collaboration with the health department should issue directives accordingly.
thats why the goverment of the day need to start feeding the chidren somee nutritious breakfast and lunch at school -O :
There is too much emphasis on the government and not on the parents. It is not the responsibility of the government to feed them. The government did not bring them into the world. They wanted the children and they must ensure that their children are properly nurtured and fed.
The government could assist them if the parents are not able to do so. The government should also conduct a research as to the parents’ financial means and why they do not provide a proper breakfast for their children. Parents must ensure that their children eat a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is their responsibility; not that of the government. Comprehend?
Parents are killing their children by giving them what they ask for and not what is good for their health.
They allow children to take control hence the obesity syndrome. It’s time to give our children healthy foods and not what they ask for. Parents it’s time to take back control of our children eating habits.
I can’t wait to move back home to help play my part with the young ones but GOD is good I just hope I get some good help on making it work out for the young Dominicans and all of us in one way
I feel their weight.
MSG – Poison in Your Food
by Lavender Rose
MSG hides behind 25 or more names, such as “Natural Flavoring”. MSG is even in your favorite coffee from Tim Horton’s and Starbucks coffee shops.
I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, and so did a friend of mine, John Erb. He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and spent years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called “The Slow Poisoning of America”.
Continue reading here: http://www.fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/the-truth-about-msg-monosodium-glutamate/38977/ — with Cherry Apples and SirKeith Vincent.
Hello you are absolutely correct. MSG is what’s killing people and most people don’t know that. Please read the label . I gave you a big thumbs up.
Well, when everybody wants to do all in their power to be “fickrz”…not saying that a lil size is bad, but plenty of them overdoing it. Rule for me, if to be a “fickerz” your stomach hanging like you have 10 children when you have none, you’re not meant to be one. Lose weight!
Look around DA and tell me how many playgrounds and I don’t mean just a piece of grass) you see??? Kids are inside watching TV
Poor reporting. If you’re talking about obesity, put background information like current obesity rates, maybe even make a comparison between years or something. Anybody can talk about what people say, its called gossiping. Getting it right and putting out a real informational article is journalism. Just saying
As much as I appreciate the fact that the DDA is taking a proactive approach to addressing the trend of rising obesity in the youth, I hope and pray that the solution will not simply be a call for exercise, time management, and healthy eating. Obesity is a social issue, not a health issue.
CHUPES-TAN
Of course we are going to have an obesity and diabetes problem if we contnue to purchase and consume all the nutrient-devoid foods from overseas (the word ‘food’ being merely a description in this case, so readers know what I’m talking about – rather than actual nutritious food items ). We have good soil and enough nutrient-dense food to feed this nation and beyond. We need to educate everyone on the importance of agriculture and to encourage our children to study it in further education. This is the only way forward for mankind to survive, because the rubbish that’s being (literally) pushed down our throats is eventually going to lead to the demise of most of us. Let’s act now, we all have the power. And, while we’re at it, keep off the sodas, white flour and fried foods!!
Toooo Muchhhhh…icecream not good..
One cone in the right and one in the left hand..
Why not a treadmill…
Some yogurt would be better especially the natural one.
Yep sad but true..and what baffles me is the women with those looping stomachs thinking they looking Great..
That KFC is bad for the society excessive usage..
Hey Skero..please reduce or work a deal with the Fisher folks as the price of Fish many can’t afford it…if you say you care for Dominicans, that’s a major issue which needs to be address..
Fish too pricey for average Dominican citizen.
where is the Ministry of Fisheries…
Wonder what a Govt is in place for not for Direction of Policies to uplift it’s citizens
Or increase the Red Clinic and Boast of the amout of citizens on welfare…
WOW,WOW…look at how Dominicans sit back and let the country slide…
He should request information and advice from progressive countries. On the other hand, it is difficult to put a cap on prices as fish and meat. Sadly, customers are in a dilemma. They may have no choice but to purchase them as in Dominica.
Wicked eh? 
Those items are placed in a different area. I am always on the look out for helping others. Ever since I found out where they are I head straight there. When people are aware of sales, they grab them. You know, “first come, first served.” 
So far I have not caught a virus for winter. We are nearing the end of winter. 
I hope not in spring and summer. 
If only Dominica had more sales on fish/meat and other items. Those who reside in so-called progressive countries do have this privilege on occasions.
People in those countries look out for sales and even go out of their way to purchase them. We get weekly fliers upon fliers at our doors/in our mailboxes. We thrive on sales.
Most of my vegetables are purchased on sale. When the sale is on and if I happen to be in the store at that time, I embrace the opportunity and purchase a good supply.
Would you believe it, if I am at the cashier’s counter and I see people paying a normal price, I tell them where they could get “the sale price” the next time they return to the store.
Paying less but for good stuff makes me happy too, not spending a lot but getting a lot and nutritiously; more money in my pocket.
ok
You make me laugh.
ok for what? Make yourself explicit. 
like a local farmer’s market
That should have been more local markets to counter the effects of these super and mini markets.
The obesity epidemicon the commonwealth of Dominique shows no signs of ending anytime soon.
And with third world people at a significantly higher rate of being overweight and being diagnosed with diabetes, the problem can no longer be ignored.
As a doctor, researcher and D/can I am working and trying to identify and study why there is such high diabetes and obesity rates in the Dominican population. Diabetes is a growing problem on what we call the nature island of the caribbean much like obesity, and the two are linked to one another.
In my capacity as an MD and researcher I would llke to help establish the Dominica Health Research Center after seeing how these issues are affecting our country.
The growing number of Dominicans suffering from obesity and diabetes “is clearly a combination of lifestyle, genetics, and socioeconomic status. We have to address like yesterday.
“We’re talking about human behavior and decades of building up to this problem.
“Thirty, 40 years ago, we did not have these outbreaks and our genes didn’t change in that time.
Dominicans are becoming overweight, they are at high risk of developing diabetes.
After seeing the widespread health issues in our community, i want to figure out how to solve the problem.
I know lifestyle is the key to so many health issues so it’s up to us to make permanent and radical changes to save our nation.
We ought to use data through our various studies, at our medical centers to create effective community health care projects, like a local farmer’s market along with programs that promote healthy living.
The hope is that through these efforts, which have garnered national attention, other communities will adopt similar programs.
The bottom line of this is we know this is not going to be done by the government. It begins with personal responsibility, improving our individual health.
This is going to be done when the communities decide it no longer wants to have this health burden.
On my last visit home I sat on the docks and saw loads and loads of beer, soft drinks etc off loaded unto trucks to wholesalers.i asked my self who’s gonna be drinking all that stuff.I forgot it was world creole festival to be followed by independence then X-mas was round the corner to be followed by carnival and it goes on.
We have to revisit all these partying too Ms Birmingham,therein lies part of the solution.