Obesity and poor diet

Mar 06, 2025 Features / Columnists, News

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Editorial…

Kaieteur News- World Obesity Day was observed on Tuesday and we were reminded of how important it is to eat a balanced diet and shun junk foods.

The Ministry of Health in a statement disclosed that obesity has emerged as a significant concern in Guyana, with rates steadily increasing among both adults and children. According to the World Obesity Federation, this year the obesity prevalence is projected to reach 20.2 percent for men and 35.5 percent for women, while 15.7 percent of children between the ages five and 19 will be affected. “Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension remain the leading causes of death in Guyana,” the Health Ministry highlighted in the statement.

Right here in Guyana in 2016, NCDs were responsible for 68 percent of all deaths in Guyana, with cardiovascular diseases alone accounting for 34 percent of these fatalities. Additionally, the risk of premature death from NCDs among individuals aged 30 to 70 is 31 percent. The ministry did mention that the country has undergone significant shifts, which contributed to the obesity crisis. “The rise of fast foods restaurants and increasing availability of processed, high-calorie foods have led to higher rates of unhealthy eating. Many of these foods are loaded with unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium- major contributors to weight gain and obesity-related diseases. Sedentary lifestyles and low levels of physical activity have further worsened the situation,” the Health Ministry said.

It has long been established here that poor diet is common among many Guyanese, particularly among the more affluent who often do not spend much time looking after their health. As was mentioned by the ministry there is a high percentage of people dying NCDs and blamed this on the changing dietary landscape with more fast foods outlets available to citizens. Since the coming of oil, more and more fast foods franchises have set up shop here. The more affluent the country, the more the ailments that stem from poor diets. Guyanese are not averse to eating healthy. The reality, however, is that they follow trends in the developed world. Fast food outlets proliferate in the developed world and they have now become part of the local landscape.

In the developed world, obesity is a challenge. Some of the largest people live in those countries where the economy is doing much better than Guyana’s and where people readily eat out at restaurants or simply pick up a meal that may not be all that healthy but one which satisfies hunger.

The Ministry of Health has for many years been trying to get people to understand that what passes for fast food, while ready to be eaten, is actually contributing to ill health. Many are fattening and can lead to clogged arteries. What is surprising is that the average Guyanese knows that there are foods that help maintain good health. As children they learnt about green vegetables, fruits and the like. The marketplace abounds with these things and there is no shortage of shoppers. Most Guyanese do prepare their own meals, largely because they do not have much disposable income.

However, there are those who have grown lazy, who would boast that they hate facing the kitchen, who would actually promote the restaurants. They see it as fashionable to emulate the people in the developed world. In fact, television, which is all about the country from which the signal emanates, actually is one of the media that promotes the country.

It is the eating habits that are leading to the health issues. Some of the most obese people live in America and Europe. In fact, the American Medical Association has long recognized that obesity is a national issue. It traces this to eating habits. There is now a regular focus on these eating houses. Health experts routinely measure the quality of foods served.

The fact that a growing number of Guyanese need dialysis; that there are more and more people who are developing heart diseases and need corrective surgery; that there are more diabetics, is testimony to the eating habits of the local people. Where certain things never existed, they do now. The government will boast that it is spending huge sums of money on health. What it will not say is that this spending is occasioned by people developing bad habits and therefore placing more pressure on the health services. The widely held view is that there should be more campaigns to educate people about a series of health habits. The same television that is importing the bad habits into our living rooms could be used to make people aware of the dangers inherent in emulating that which they see in the developed country. To the country’s credit, by no stretch of imagination has obesity reached the proportions in the developed world and heaven forbid if it does. This could be avoided and must.

(Obesity and poor diet)

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• cardiovascular diseases, Editorial, non-communicable diseases, premature death, World Obesity Federation

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