(CNS): According to a survey of the state of the country’s health in relation to chronic non communicable diseases Cayman is at high risk. Most people are not eating the right foods, smoke and drink too much and are not getting enough exercise. Among both sexes more than a third (36.6%) were found to be obese and over 70% overweight. Along with high blood pressure many people are also already suffering or at risk of heart disease or diabetes. In the first survey of its kind well over 40 percent of the people who were surveyed faced at least three of the five standard risk factors of smoking, eating less than5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, low level of activity, overweight or raised blood pressure.
The results of the survey finally confirm in statistics the concerns that health officials have had for some time that non-communicable diseases, as a result of lifestyle choices have reached epidemic proportions in Cayman.
Armed with the facts and figures government will be focused on what it can do to lower the risk factors and in turn cut its growing health bill which currently accounts for 20% of government s entire annual health budget.
With almost 84% of people eating less than 5 servings of fruit or vegetables each day, Approximately 15% of the population smokes tobacco regularly and a quarter of the men surveyed admitted they had engaged in heavy episodic drinking in the past 30 days. The survey also found that slightly less than half of respondents however had high levels of physical activity with over 61% of men reporting being active while less than 34% of women reported high activity levels. More than one third of all respondents however reported low levels of physical activity.With an average waist size of over a yard and many people suffering with obesity Caymanians are struggling with serious weight issues.
The health minister said that the STEPS survey represents a major step towards gathering data for the government, policy makers, health insurance providers and other stakeholders to inform a national strategy for the prevention, control and management of NCDs.
Speaking at last Thursday’s press briefing Mark Scotland pointed out that NDCs have an impact on the workforce as well as government’s growing health care costs growing as he pointed to a pressing need for more education about the need for healthier lifestyles, as he described the situation as “grave”.
He said the survey has provided valuable information and evidence on risk factors of chronic diseases presenting the community with an urgent need to target specific groups in the population with health education and health promotion for the prevention and control of NCDs.
Some interventions that are cost effective to help to reduce risk factors for NCDs include enforcing no smoking policies in all public spaces by amending the Tobacco legislation, development of programmes to support smoking cessation, promoting and increasing media messages about diet and physical activity, create enabling environments that will promote and increase physical activity, encourage the participation of employees through their employer in wellness programmes, promote annual screenings through the media/public health and encourage persons to get to know their numbers.
Among government’s goals to help address the crisis is reducing the tariffs on the importation of fruit and vegetables, increasing the level and duration of physical activity in all schools at an early age and awareness campaigns via the NDC.
