A recent survey showed that sixty-five percent of a representative sample of Saint Lucians aged 18-69 were overweight or obese.
The disclosure came from Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Shana Cyr-Philbert.
Cyr-Philbert also revealed that 37.3%, without a prior diagnosis of hypertension, had raised blood pressure.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), unhealthy diets and a lack of physical activity may show up in people as raised blood pressure, increased blood glucose, elevated blood lipids, and obesity.
The WHO noted that those metabolic risk factors could lead to cardiovascular disease, the leading Non-Communicable Disease in premature deaths.
Dr. Cyr-Philbert observed that for decades, illnesses like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes have claimed most of the adult lives lost in Saint Lucia.
” Despite our best efforts, non-communicable diseases(NCDs) continue to negatively affect most Saint Lucians,” she lamented.
And she emphasised the need to protect those at risk in a statement that appears below:
I agree 100% Y coz most Lucians I’ve uncounted only concern about good health and diet when diagnosed with an auto immune situation which maybe to late sometimes, please be advised food, party an fun doesn’t necessarily mean good health an diet, but being vigilant of what u consume, environment an a proper state of mind without toxic stress especially from toxic gossip.
I do agree with the comment 100% and 100% truthfully
The average Saint Lucian would be in better health if they made one change to their diet: Cut the consumption of sugar found in juice, soft drink, alcohol, Malta, icicles etc…
I’d like to know the sample size for that survey. Notwithstanding, this is why Pierre just implemented yet another 2.5% tax on us. Those people drinking alcohol nonstop, and consuming KFC nonstop and never exercising are a burden on the health care system. We are being taxed to enable their horrible choices.
From the looks of it, the majority of people conducting this study would also be accurately described as overweight, obese even.
This is not news. We know that St Lucia has among the highest rates of diabetes and obesity in the world.
Want more proof? Check out the blubber and cellu-heavy parades at Carnival every year. St Lucians like to jiggle.
Most of them are the women who want to be thick of course! Alot are walking around 180 lbs plus.
They also need to significantly reduce their consumption of carbohydrates. In addition to the juice, soft drink, alcohol, Malta, icicles, their plates are loaded with rice, pasta, ground provisions, greenfig, plantain, breadfruit. That is a ridiculously high amount of calories for sedentary people. Unless you’re doing iron man contests, you don’t need that amount of carbs in a meal. This is what is fueling the diabetes epidemic here. And yea the many fat doctors aren’t setting the example.
Very good initiatives were outlined.
One approach that can be pursued is tackling NCDs through a long term approach following the WHO recommendation of Making Every School a Health Promoting School.
Another approach is by encouraging faith-based groups to plan activities related to Caribbean Wellness Day (second Saturday of September).
Also PTAs can arrange for Medical Doctors, Registered Dietitians and District Nurses to make presentations to parents on the topic, How to Make Healthy Choices when Shopping at the Supermarket.
Regarding the children, the Ministries of Health and Education should consider the Childhood Obesity Prevention initiatives of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition – see healthycaribbean.org
This is funny, it seems like it is traditional now that lucians love to carry food in a container while they roam the streets and road ways in lucia. We are a pack of lazy ass nation who only consume tons of fats and carbs…. and only mind other people business so what do you expect.
We see this calamity everyday … it is both cultural and traditional (lately) to be FAT!! A lot of people, especially women, consider fat, as being “healthy”. When I was at school, just about every class had only ONE fat child. Now that has changed. The schools are chock full of fat children. There is “robust fat” (muscular) and “obese fat”.
The food environment has been unhealthy for over 30 years because of the lack of adequate consumer protection and the absence of regulatory measures to limit the marketing of unhealthy food. The overweight and obesity problem is evidence of a form of American cultural imperialism. Buying convenient fast food on a regular basis has to be seen as being an unhealthy approach to food consumption.
The comment by Chickens coming home to roost, has highlighted the need for a systematic approach to nutrition education.
i am not in the business of criticizing..but awa awa…..when i walk the streets daily the women especially when they wear jeans awa wiiii……lucian women get too fat man…and its like a style here in st lucia…..and dont talk for that kfc place…always loaded…i cant understand for the life of me how we crying for money and kfc always load theres never a time kfc not full……people dying everyday and we need to be aware of that…even the children im seeing getting rather fat these days…people lets try and take care of ourself as best as possible…remember its only one body and one life we have……lets do go by them…i urge you…
There is a clear need to focus on education. This should begin in the schools with age-appropriate, relevant and accurate information about healthy foods and by exrention, a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and a positive mindset.
NGOs, religious organisations and health care professionals should similarly target the adult population. Education plays an important role in the prevention of obesity and NCDs.
D.Ann u talk about schools religious organisations and so on…it is being preached and spoken of…i can tell u….but when parents decide they putting soft drinks in their children’s bag u think u can tell them the ministry say or my teacher sayy???? most of what occupies the lunchbags these days are gogurt soft drinks corn curls and the likes……apparently these are the cheapest things that can be afforded by parents……even when school closes and u see the children with their bags of kfc what can we do????? one little apple costs $1.50 at Massy….. its a battle in a battle……
The problem starts at the Primary Schools. Most schools don’t allow children to play freely anymore. During the kids lunch hour they have to eat quickly and have to be seated in a hot classroom being bombarded with academics. On a morning as soon as they arrive they are expected to be seated in a classroom or else they are punished. Think about how it was before and how it is now. Teachers make kids feel that to sweat is a crime. I’m not saying that kids should be all sweaty all the time, but what schools are promoting now is quite disturbing
Bicarbonated berverages such as the cola,busta, just name it,
are the main factures,sugar is not forgoten.
Though unmeasured salt is a facture of hypertension, but I learned to used a little salt in place of the sugar…