By Joseph Mahadeo, MD.
In the Caribbean, Non-Communicable Diseases or NCDs are the leading cause of death and disability. In fact, in 2016, NCDs accounted for 76.8% of total deaths. Leading the charge are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes, with many of these persons dying from NCDs in the prime of their lives. In Trinidad & Tobago (T&T), NCDs are by far the leading cause of premature death; that is, death before age 70 (https://carpha.org/What-We-Do/NCD/Overview) .
So, what are NCDs? According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), NCDs, also sometimes referred to as chronic or lifestyle diseases, are a group of conditions that are not passed from person to person, and are mainly of long duration and progress slowly. In addition to those previously mentioned, NCDs include chronic lower respiratory diseases, sickle cell disease, mental illness and injuries. They are mainly the result of a combination of genetic, environmental, behavioural and metabolic risk factors, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco, air pollution, stress and overweight/obesity. In short, it is the way people choose to live, work, and play, that is contributing most to this serious public health problem (https://carpha.org/What-We-Do/NCD/Overview).
In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and obesity are fueling a crisis of non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago. Non-communicable diseases account for close to four out of every five deaths in T&T, with heart disease being the leading cause of death. Therefore, it is easy to surmise that these “lifestyle diseases” continue to snuff out more lives daily than violent crimes, road traffic accidents and even the notorious Covid-19 pandemic.
The question must be asked: why is this so in a country with large open spaces, generally fair weather and a year-round abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables? In attempting to answer this question, we encounter startling statistics from the Ministry of Health, Trinidad – ninety percent (90%) of the population have less than five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Additionally, close to sixty percent (60%) of the population are either overweight or obese, with a rapid increase in childhood obesity noted over the last 20 years. It therefore appears that many of our citizens are consistently making poor health choices.
So, what can we do to stem the tide of this onslaught of morbidity? The key lies in preventative lifestyle measures. It is well known that most non-communicable diseases can be prevented, controlled, and sometimes even reversed by deliberate and consistent changes to unhealthy lifestyle habits and practices. So, let’s look at a few practical suggestions.
To begin, we should work on increasing our physical activity levels with deliberate aerobic exercise. This is by no means a call to spend money to join a gym or ‘keep fit’ class, although these are viable options. Simply engaging in brisk walking for one hour, 2-3 times a week, in a safe, open area will do wonders to control blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight. Why not take the stairs at work instead of the elevator? Or take a walk after having lunch rather than sitting and staring at your mobile device or the television? Such seemingly small changes can produce big dividends when done deliberately and consistently.
As we become more active, we would want to feed our bodies well. No right-thinking person buys ‘old oil’ or contaminated fuel to put into their precious vehicles. So why do we regularly put unhealthy “junk” food into our valuable human bodies? Let’s return to preparing home-cooked meals and make ‘buying food’ a rare treat. It is time we realize that the main objective of commercial food preparation is a “feel good taste” and not necessarily what is healthy. Therefore, in most instances, foods are deep fried with generous amounts of salt and other unhealthy additives, while drinks are laced with processed sugar which, when imbibed, adds to the strain on the body’s precious organ systems. Let’s eat our favourite fruits and drink water instead of indulging in ‘fast food,’ processed ‘snacks,’ and carbonated, caffeinated, sugary beverages; this goes for our children as well. In summary, our meals should be our daily dose of preventive medicine to stave off the ravages of NCDs. The future of our nation depends on it.
So let us encourage each other:
- To get moving
- To eat a simple, healthy, wholesome, nutritious and balanced diet
- To make water our beverage of choice
- To get adequate sleep
- To spend sufficient time outdoors enjoying fresh air and sunlight
- To give up all forms of smoking and alcohol consumption
- To work towards achieving our ideal weight
- To love ourselves more than we love our cars or other material pursuits
- To build healthy relationships and communities of faith.
Let’s turn things around and make our nation a place of health, wholeness and happiness.
