Diabetic-tied ailments require dietary sea change – The Philadelphia Tribune

Diabetes and high blood pressure are prevalent in the African-American community in the United States, and with idea of supersize meals and processed fast foods catching on everywhere, these non-communicable diseases are becoming an even bigger problem in other parts of the world the Caribbean being one of those regions.

The Caribbean Community published a statistic from a study by the University of the West Indies that showed that 1 in 4 adults in the Caribbean nations have diabetes or are pre-diabetic. It also found that some are struggling with high blood pressure.

Furthermore, the study shows the risk to women of contracting the diseases is about 60 percent higher because they tend to be more obese. There has also been an increase in obesity among children and adolescents, which could result into diabetes within those age groups.

This is very concerning to government and health care officials.

Diabetes develops when the body cannot produce enough insulin or effectively use the insulin that it produces. The harmful effects include damage to the major organs and increase risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure or nerve damage.

Other studies indicate that the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases is the worst in the Americas. This is an eye opener because deaths have continued to increase over the last two decades.

Why? Because of the lifestyle choices and people not taking their medication as prescribed.

The universitys study describes the health care system in these Caribbean countries as fragile and under-resourced as they struggle to ensure effective delivery of health care interventions.

Many of our family and friends, in the United States and on the islands, who have been diagnosed with one or more of these ailments have accepted the reality of their situation. However, they have not taken the time to educate themselves on how to manage these diseases.

For those who are elderly, they are quick to say that they are set in their ways and are too old to change their diet. They feel as if cutting back or eliminating certain foods from their diet is robbing themselves of the simple pleasures of life.

One family friend said eventually something is gonna kill you so it might as well enjoy myself while I can.

It is surprising how many people respond with that attitude.

My grandmother Delrose (Gran-gran) died several years ago, (God rest her soul) from complications linked to diabetes. I can hear her voice just as if it was yesterday, Mi live long enough mi can eat anything mi want.

She had a sweet tooth and would always make room for some cake, sweet potato pudding, or some syrup sweet chocolate tea flavored with coconut milk and fresh cinnamon. Yes we all have our favorite dishes whether it is fried dumplings, coconut bread, bun and cheese or grater cakes BUT as we get older it is wise to make a change to our diets and eat these delicious meals in moderation.

The CARICOM report noted that researchers from Kings College London, England; the University of Guyana; Ross University, Dominica and the University of the West Indies hope to come up with a non-traditional approach that will prove to be more effective. They plan to train members of religious congregations to offer educational classes in their communities and give participants much needed tools to manage their disease.

The goal is to recruit more than 100 people to become health advocates. These trainees will be supervised by a nurse as they promote physical activity, healthy food choices and patient care. Locals agree that this approach will increase the reach of health services and should therefore reduce the number of deaths.

Aptly called Congregations Taking Action Against NCDs, the project will be rolled out in Guyana, Jamaica and Dominica before being expanded to other locations.

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Diabetic-tied ailments require dietary sea change - The Philadelphia Tribune