Monday, October 31, 2005

 

Weighty issues

Image hosted by Photobucket.comAccording to the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Issue(CFNI) my island has the highest incidence of obesity in the Caribbean.Yes,St Vincent and the Grenadines tops a very unflattering list but somehow I find that little revelation very hard to believe.I didn't hear the percentages, the comparison between the other islands or even what numbers they used to define obesity.But from my observation I do not see that many obese people in my daily travels.

I did an online check and found an article that said SVG's obesity rate increased from little over 3% to about 4.5% in the late 90's.It would appear that those figures grew steadily in the subsequent years if am to take the word of CFNI.I guess that is the price we have to pay for "development" since our islands move further and further away from an agricultural base and begin to consume larger amounts of fat laden processed foods.Am always shocked when I see the large numbers of persons in KFC especially on Sundays.What happened to the family Sunday lunch when one would normally cook something special and way more nutritious than greasy chicken.

Image hosted by Photobucket.comAdded to that we have become less active preferring to sit in front of the television for hours and taking the bus for short distances.When I was going to school on the days when I took the bus I,along with my friends would walk from the bus terminal up to my school.Nowadays,I see my cousins and many other students taking another bus from the terminal up to school.Who would have thought things would have changed so drastically


But worst of all this excess weight can have serious health complications for a small population like ours.We want a decrease in diabetes,hypertension,heart problems and all the other things associated with being overweight and not a situation where more people can fall ill.So ladies although they say the men like women with meat on their bones it looks like this island has to go on a diet and fast too.


Comments:
but all the vincy people I know slim.i i find it had to believe yall got more fat folk than bim cause everytime i go home i seeing some huge people all around the place.

caribbean people need to wise up on eating and excercise habits.
 
I agree with you there.Thing is it cause a surprise here that we came out on top especially with all the fitness programs going on.
 
Well I'm suprised too. I'd have thought there'd be more overweight Lucians than Vincys - what with our Friday night excesses. But then again there's been a rash of completely mental diet fads here over the past few years.
 
Well Kami girl, your island and all de other islands. We got some healthy "thick" people in de islands. But what are their standards of ovrweight. Cause according tuh de US standards of size, ,anything ova ah size 6 dem does think is over weight. We all can't look like Kate Moss
 
You are right Abeni! The number of overweight persons are growing in the caribbean. People are eating up all this fast junk food and just sitting around on their fat asses! Even the children who supposed to be running up and down, just sit and play video games.
 
I don't know much about obesity rates in the Caribbean. But in the US, obesity is out of control. Something like 30% (thats just a guesstimate) of all American kids are overweight. The other majority is battling a form of anorexia. Weight issues are really getting out of control.
 
I'm not a big person but I do like to eat. Strangly enough, eating actually inspire me to work out more. I don't do fast food though.....
 
Tell the girls to listen to a distant relative, Mad Cobra. Dem haffi likkle and cute if dem wah man fi sla_! ;-)
 
Hmmm,try Cobblestone Inn if you in Kingstown proper.Out Villa where you will be you can try French restaurant.
 
Yes - I have been tipping the scales on the wrong end as well, so I am unfortunately contributing to the problem regionally, hopefully I will make it to the gym tomorrow morning!
 
People used to claim it was just Americans who had big people or ate a lot but that's not true. I know for a fact that French people eat a lot because my uncle lives in France, plus I know for myself that French food is very fattening. I also have recently learned that Britain tips the scales more than Americans. I was shocked, being an American because Brits always try to compare themselves to us and make it seem like we're the evil in everything but you come to find out that they have the same problems (if not more) over there. Obesity is a problem everywhere I believe. It just needs to be dealt with the best way it can be. The key is to not make anyone feel less than a person just because they have issues with eating or with their weight. Good post. I have a new blog design, Abeni. I'd love your opinion if you haven't given it already.
 
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