Council calls for healthier habits
THERE are three things that cannot fully be erased from this world — crime, drugs and NCDs.
And as far as tackling NCDs is concerned, education, healthy eating habits and regular physical activity cannot be overemphasised enough, says Gilbert Vakalalabure, the executive chairman and acting CEO of the Fiji Sports Council.
“We understand that in regard to non-communicable diseases, people need to do training, eat healthy and sweat it out. For that, we have facilities to do vigorous and effective training,” Mr Vakalalabure says.
Highlighting the role of the business community in promoting public health, he says true health can only be achieved when the business community truly understands the impact of NCDs.
Mr Vakalalabure says there’s a need for increased responsibility among businesses and they must be urged to reconsider the products they offer to consumers.
“Take out all canned food, noodles and processed edibles, take out all of that because those are NCD foods,” he says.
“The business community must understand that they should take more responsibility for what they put on their shelves.
“They must prioritise the health and wellbeing of their customers.”
Concerned about the rising incidence of NCD-related deaths, Mr Vakalalabure says people are dying at a very young age.
He says the Fiji Sports Council has made available facilities such as gyms and pools for public use. However, he stresses that participation in such initiatives ultimately depends on individual choice and accountability.
“At the end of the day, it’s how you decide to practise your free will.
“With rights comes responsibility and with every responsibility comes accountability.”
Recognising the role of processed foods in perpetuating unhealthy lifestyles, Mr Vakalalabure says processed foods don’t provide the people with the energy they need to make the effort to look after their health.
He urges individuals to prioritise nutritious, whole foods for optimal health and wellbeing.
“Another thing I would like to mention, while the press and the media are promoting NCDs and how bad they are, we often overlook that the media is funded by the companies that produce NCD-promoting products or in a more sugar-coated term, processed foods.”
He says there’s a symbiotic relationship between media outlets and advertisers, noting that the media heavily relies on advertisements of processed foods to make a profit.
This dependence on advertising revenue raises questions about the impartiality of media coverage on health-related issues.
“So, I find it a bit ironic that they are raising awareness of NCDs when they themselves are promoting one of the major causes of NCDs.
“But why does this paradox persist?
“It is because that balances out the government’s economic power,” he adds.
Mr Vakalalabure illuminates the systemic challenges embedded within the media landscape, this duality, he says, underscores the complexities inherent in navigating the intersection of economics, public health and media influence.
By holding both individuals and businesses accountable for their roles in promoting health, Fiji can take meaningful strides towards combating the NCD epidemic and safeguarding the wellbeing of its citizens.