NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCD) is increasing in the country, as well as the Pacific, and health workers are advising families to be careful with what they eat.
A doctor at the national referral hospital (NRH) told women that most sicknesses that they come with are caused mainly by their eating lifestyle.
He adds that men and children too are also at risk from these diseases related to our food choices.
He says this is because our shops, from which we get our food, are filled with processed food, and due to other contributing factors our daily diet consists predominantly of processed food.
As a result, he explains that people do not eat the healthier local food, vegetables, crops and fruits.
However, it is these locally grown foods that are important for our health and that we should eat more of.
There should be a lot of emphasis on healthy-eating in our homes, the doctor said.
He continues to say that the one of the main goals of parents is to ensure that they and their children eat healthy.
Meanwhile, a mother of two kids, Stephanie Nessy, agrees that children nowadays are eating more junk food than they ought to, saying that it is vital that parents are aware of this and the damage that they can do to children’s growth and development.
“We also emphasise on healthy snacks for our children, instead of the usual Bongo, sweet biscuits, ice cream we get them to eat apple, pear, orange or yogurt.
“It can be hard because when our kids see other kids eat junk they want to try it out and they might start liking it too.” Ms Nessy said.
She furthers that mothers who sell food at schools and school canteens should replace junk food with fresh or cooked local food and fruits.
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