CAPTION: Minister, Dr Devina Nand, addressing residents about healthy eating.
PHOTO CREDIT: Fiji Times.
The Fijian Health Ministry head of wellness, Dr Devina Nand, says almost 67 percent of Fiji’s population is overweight – increasing the risk of diabetes and non-communicable diseases.
She also said 80 percent were not eating enough fruit and vegetables and this has resulted in a high rate of anaemia.
As reported in she said: “It also means that we have a very high chance of dying young and a lot of people die at 40 and 35 and it’s linked with what we do, how we live and what we eat.”.
Dr Nand said Fiji had such good soil and if people did not grow food in their back yards then the community was “failing in a huge way.
She said the Government could provide seeds and materials so islanders can work on community gardens to grow fruits and vegetable that people did not eat enough of.