Causes of vertigo that affect the Pacific population as well as Argentinians

March 4 is World Obesity Day, which affects more than a billion people worldwide today. Populations in the Pacific and Argentina are not spared at all, our correspondents on site report.

According to a highly anticipated study published a few days ago, the prevalence of obesity has doubled in adults and quadrupled in children over the past 30 years. This unexplained increase is particularly marked in the Pacific zone, but also in Argentina, where the statistics are alarming. In this country, a major producer of fruits and vegetables, nearly two out of three people are overweight or obese. It is also one of the countries with the highest overweight among children under 5 years of age with a rate of 12.6% according to a UNICEF survey.

In the Pacific, fresh fish were abandoned for cheaper canned goods

In small countries in the Pacific region, such as the islands of Nauru, Samoa and Tonga, more than 60% of the population is obese. It is a huge phenomenon across the region, which is mainly explained by changes in eating habits over the last thirty years. We have basically gone from a diet consisting mainly of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, to imported and processed products, often very high in calories, very rich in salt, but very cheap, such as corn. Corn, for example. Beef or Spam. (Ready seasoned ham).

We must understand that in these very isolated countries, far from the main trade routes and where agricultural land is very limited, we have very little choice on the shelves, quality products are very rare and their prices are very high. A key consequence is that in addition to obesity, these countries are also the most affected by diabetes in the world.

The French are no exception

To counter this phenomenon, 14 of the region’s 22 countries have increased their taxes on processed products in recent years, and some have reduced taxes on fruits and vegetables at the same time. But these measures will take time to be implemented.

Note that there is no French exception to this. In French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, and New Caledonia, more than 50% of adults are obese. The installation of gastric bands is more widespread than in mainland France, where the prevalence of obesity is not only much lower but has fallen in recent years. Also in these regions, we try to work with information actions on prevention and healthy eating. In Tahiti, the authorities are also counting on the organization of Olympic Games and surfing events to develop sports activities. New Caledonia late last year firmly adopted a tax on sweet products that is much heavier than that imposed on soda in France.

In Argentina, “8-year-old children weighing 60, 70, 80 kg”

In Argentina, 61.6% of the population is overweight, of which 25% suffer from obesity, according to the latest study conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2019. The disease, with serious consequences and which wreaks havoc, is spreading further. Provinces than the capital, health professionals are registered in hospitals, intensive care and medical centers.

And in addition to adults, it also and especially affects children. “Many children come to me with fatty liver disease and severe insulin resistance”, says Morena Fratessi, nutritionist. Most of his patients are children under 10 years of age. “These are 8-year-olds who weigh 60, 70, 80 kgshe describes. I believe the main reason has to do with the food industry, which sells products with addictive effects. And another reason is our relationship with food. If the child is not well, he is deprived of sweets. If we take him to get vaccinated, we promise him an ice cream on the way out to reassure him. So we can relearn how to cope without burying our emotions with food.”

In the context of an emergency, public health is not a priority

However, Argentina is known for its cuisine and is one of the main producers of fruits and vegetables in the world. Argentinians are fascinated by gastronomy but they cook very little. They produce 10 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables but only 6% eat five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. At the same time, the supply of sweet products is also flooding the shelves of supermarkets and pharmacies that sell them through the checkout. In Buenos Aires, there are also 110,000 tobacconists – one for every 400 inhabitants – whose displays overflow with candies, chocolate bars and those famous “alfajores”. This is a type of large macaron with chocolate and “dulce de leche” (dairy jam) that some people eat for breakfast.

From 2021, public authorities have introduced a law requiring manufacturers to display added sugar and fat on their products. This helps in raising awareness, but awareness campaigns are few and far between. There is no food education in school and inflation is hitting healthy products hard. For Morena Fratesi, habits must be changed: “You should first find the best price and buy real food, not sold in overpriced packagesshe advises. An “Alfajar” costs about 1 At the same price as a euro, you buy a kilo of fruit. So less packages, more real food and more basketball, because physical activity is fundamental. All this is the best prevention.”

Today, in Argentina, obesity awareness is done almost exclusively on social networks by doctors or nutritionists like Morena Fratesi. For the Argentine government, in the context of the economic crisis and political tensions, obesity, its risks and its consequences for the future are not considered a priority.