By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
Today (as I write this column), I gave a talk on “kumain ng wasto” to students of St. James High School. I asked the students what foods to avoid and the first thing they said was “junk food”. And yet many of them claimed they eat junk food. So what gives? Apparently, knowledge is not enough for one to change behavior. One scientist said that as of the present, humanity has already enough information on what makes us healthy and well and what makes us sick. I say we don’t have to go to the moon or to the center of the earth to look for the answers. Then why do we still encounter a lot of sick people? Why is there an epidemic of hypertension and diabetes and rayuma and cancer nowadays? Who is over 60 years old, has gone to college and not hypertensive? I am sure those who are hypertensive know the reason why they are hypertensive. Those who are diabetic know why they are diabetic and they know what to do to get well. They know but it is hard to quit. It is hard to quit… to quit eating bad food.
One time I was eating with co-health profesionals in a restaurant. After the meal, suddenly a big bottle of Coke appeared. Nobody claimed to have bought it. Of course, all of us in that group knew we are not supposed to drink Coke. But some people in that group are addicted to Coke. Their meal is not complete without that soda drink. Their day is not complete without it. And they won’t be able to sleep well if they didn’t have their fix. They are addicted to Coke. Just like many people are addicted to sugar or to junk food. Just like some people are addicted to cigarette smoking and alcohol and drugs.
We have placed so much importance to food nowadays that we are letting it control our lives. We work so hard to buy food that we like, not food that we need to be healthy. What kind of food are we buying? The students were busy eating candy so I asked them why they bought candy or junk food, of all the items in the store. Answers? “It is sweet”, “yummy”, “naimas”, “nalaka” (cheap). I was surprised that there is P1 junk food. Geez, what kind of matter would sell for P1? Scary!
The students’ responses are not different from that of adults. It is all about satisfying your senses. Health is not a consideration when choosing what to eat. Do parents teach their children what to buy with their allowance? How many high school students bring baon to school? What makes you buy the things you buy? It satisfies your senses=Happiness. The food could also be a status symbol. The food could also be the food of the barkada so you feel you belong when you eat what they eat. You buying could also be the influence of advertising. Or you choose to buy that food because of its fancy colorful packaging.
You can judge the quality of your food by the waste it generates. If it generates so much waste junk (plastic, cans or bottles) chances are your food is also junk. Lucky for those who produce their own food. Nowadays, we live to eat when we should be eating to live. Eating is now our happiness. In the town centers and cities, it is easy to observe how eating has taken over so much of our lives. Just walk up or down Session Road. Almost all the business establishments fronting the road sell food. I was shocked last week when we were looking for Jet bookstore and it was no longer where it used to be. The whole stretch was all kainan! And watch the people you meet on the street- chances are that half of them are munching on something. In the past, it was bad manners to eat while walking. Well, well, well… times they are a’changing.
It’s not only times that are changing. It is people, too. Observe how many obese people you meet in Session Road and how many obese people you meet in Paracelis. If our blood pressures were written on our foreheads, we would also notice the difference between city folks and rural folks. You will also notice that people in the rural area don’t usually eat while walking or doing anything else. In the rural area, you eat at mealtime and sitting down or even squatting. Or if you eat in between meals, you sit down. Now, where did I see this group of elementary pupils playing Chinese garter and eating at the same time. Imagine this, one hand swinging the Chinese garter and one hand holding the cookie, busy eating and busy talking din. This must be what we call multi-tasking. Hahaayyy…
Really, something must be done. More health authorities now recognize that hypertension and diabetes and cancer are on the rise. And affected populations are getting younger. But what’s the response? It seems that dengue, measles and some infections are getting more attention and resources. Look at the media coverage. And how much are we spending for gadgets, medicines and other logistics to address these infectious diseases?
And yet how many are dying from these infections? How many are dying from hypertension and diabetes and cancer? For sure, hypertension and its complications is the number one cause of death in Mountain Province and worldwide. Dengue is not in the top ten causes of deaths. For sure, kidney failure is on the rise worldwide as a complication of hypertension and diabetes. Records and reports show these. What else do we need to know before you and I take action?
We take wisdom from our experience with cigarette smoking and other addictions. Surely, addiction cannot be overcome by the individual addict alone. If we love the smoker and we want him or her to quit then we have to give community and government support. First, we remove ashtrays and other stimuli for smoking from homes and offices and establishments. This is so we take the mind of the smoker away from smoking. We have to change his or her environment. Then we set rules and not allow smoking in public places. This is where government will greatly help.
Likewise for eating or food addiction, we do the same. We remove the carbonated drink or sugar from the environment. If we want to quit eating refined sugar, let us remove it from our homes and offices. Let us remove those sodas from the table. You put in on the dining table, you bet there’s one addicted hand that will reach out for it. You put junk food on the table and there will be another addicted hand that will reach out for it. Such is the power of addiction. Thus we are happy that some barangays in Mountain Province have banned junk food in their stores. I am also happy that the CAR- Regional Development Council has adopted a policy on serving healthy foods in government functions and offices. In Mountain Province the late Governor Leonard Mayaen signed an executive order for healthy meals and snacks during provincial activities. These rules are meant to help those addicted to bad food and implementing them means saving us from a lot of diseases and suffering. In your home, do you have similar rules? Of course, at home you don’t have to have it written. But then with techie children, perhaps it would have more chances of being read if you post it on your wall in facebook. At home, parents should set the rules. Or would you let your 5-year old child be the barangay kapitan or the mayor or the governor of your home?
I look forward to seeing junk food labelling that says something like “Warning: Eating high-sugar, high fat and high-salt food is dangerous for your health.” I also look forward to graphic labels on unhealthy food products just like what’s being required now with cigarettes. And I pray for increasing tax on junk food just like that on cigarettes, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages. Not only good for our economy but good for our health as well.
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“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5
