Jaevion Nelson | Eating healthy is out of reach

Eating healthily (not lavishly) is quite expensive in Jamaica. Do you realise that fruits and vegetables, for example, are not particularly cheap unless there is a glut in the market? If the Government is serious about having a healthy, stable population, it must take stock of the situation and move with alacrity to make healthier food options more affordable and accessible to the ‘average person.’

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major driver of morbidity and mortality in the country. All the reports paint a grim picture. One in three Jamaicans has hypertension, one in eight has diabetes, and one in two is overweight or obese. According to a report titled The Case for Investment in Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases in Jamaica, “nearly four out of five individuals die from NCDs, and a 30-year-old has a 17 per cent chance of dying prematurely from any of the four main NCDs (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer) before reaching his or her 70th birthday”.

Admittedly, I am not a medical practitioner but, as I understand it, while exercising is critical to beating NCDs, that’s not the only thing that matters. Some of it also has to do with what we eat. So, if I play an hour of scrimmage football in the evenings, or jog or walk around my community for 30-60 minutes daily, but eat and drink a lot of the wrong things – like sugary drinks or foods high in sodium – I am still putting myself at risk.

It always amazes me that healthier options, the things that are actually good for you (no, I’m not referring to labels that slap ‘healthy’ on anything), are out of reach for many Jamaicans. The Government has to do more, if it wants to beat non-communicable diseases and reduce the economic burden they have on families and the public purse. Research suggests the country spends around 15 per cent of its health budget on the four main NCDs.

I think the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) has done fairly well to raise awareness about NCDs, and has helped many of us to be more conscious of the importance of exercise, drinking water, and being careful about what we eat. I know, as well, that in more recent times, they did work with Jamaica Broilers, Rainforest Seafoods and National Baking Company, for example, to create and share recipes with people to encourage healthier eating. They supported the farmers’ market and ‘Say Yes to Fresh’ campaign. Thanks to their efforts, KFC, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Popeyes, Little Caesars, Island Grill and Juici Patties now have the ‘Better for You’ options.

DO MUCH MORE

This is not a bad start, but we have to do much more to reach more Jamaicans.

When you think about it, lots of people do not have much choice. They’ll choose the box food that can full dem belly or eat two time, rather than buy something that is more expensive and nah go hold them fi long. In July, at the MOHW’s NCD Programme Review Conference, Minister Tufton expressed that “as a matter of urgency, we must drive the NCD agenda forward … we must challenge systems and approaches that do not yield results, and be willing to think outside the box”. The Case for Investment in Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases in Jamaica report argues “that investing in the prevention and control of NCDs would support the Government of Jamaica to avoid significant direct costs and indirect economic losses”.

I am proposing that for the upcoming Budget for 2022-2023, the Ministry of Agriculture should step up and play a more active role in the efforts to beat NCDs. It needs to work with the health ministry to address the issue. How can we make local produce more affordable? Work also needs to be done with the vast number of cookshops across the island that support them in creating meal options that are ‘better for you’. If we can get something going with cookshops that is affordable to their customers and still lucrative for them, I believe we can make a huge difference.

Let’s do more to get it right. We can save many lives.

Jaevion Nelson is a human-rights, economic and social justice and inclusive development advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jaevion@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @jaevionn.