The Health Minister’s claim that the public is addicted to fast food has once again sparked controversy about healthy food options as well as the link between non-communicable diseases and a person's diet.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the U Caribbean Health Digest health and wellness expo held at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on February 26, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said people are addicted to fats and sugar in the same way that people are addicted to hard drugs such as cocaine.
He also called for people to live healthier lifestyles, reduce their high sugar and fat intake and exercise.
“We are asking you to do three simple things: substitute Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Solo and Chubby, for water. I am not saying to cut it out, I am saying do it in moderation. Do not give your children a diet of KFC and pizza on a daily basis. Give them some fruits and vegetables, and that thing that you call stairs, use it.”
This was echoed by the ministry’s director of NCDs Dr Maria Clapperton, in an interview with Sunday Newsday on February 28.
“Through the TTMoves programme we are focusing on movement for lifestyle change and NCD, we encourage people to increase their intake of fruit and vegetables, increase their daily intake of water, increase their physical activity levels, and know their numbers.
[caption id="attachment_1067426" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this file photo, people take part in a soca fitness pump at Skinner Park, San Fernando in November, last year. - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
“There are modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for NCDs. Ones like genetics and hormones you can’t do anything about, but things like a proper diet and living a healthy lifestyle are within our remit, along with other unhealthy behaviours like smoking and alcohol consumption. We are empowering and educating people to take ownership of their health.”
Asked how people could live a less sedentary lifestyle when they spent several hours in traffic daily, Clapperton reiterated that people should take ownership of their health and find ways to move during the day.
The Diabetes Association of TT (DATT), in a release on February 27 in response to Deyalsingh’s remarks, said it had conducted a survey on junk food consumption with 954 people aged between 11-35 years.
“The findings reveal a significant inclination towards fast food consumption among the youth, with a staggering 88.4 per cent admitting to eating fast food at least once a week. Alarmingly, more than one-third of these respondents reported consuming fast food more than three times per week.
“Despite universally accepted recommendations suggesting the consumption of four to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, the survey results were far from meeting these guidelines. Only 23 per cent of respondents met the target for vegetable intake, and a mere 13 per cent did for fruit. Furthermore, about half of the participants failed to include a fruit or vegetable in their diet on more than one day of a typical week, highlighting a s
