Sixty-five per cent of Fiji’s population is either obese or overweight and this has become a huge problem because people are being complacent, says Fiji College of General Practitioners president Dr Rajeshwar Maharaj.
He says most people are living on unhealthy diets that increases the risk of hypertension, diabetes and stroke which have caused a lot of suffering.
“Why are people choosing to suffer instead of living a healthy life?” Dr Maharaj asked rhetorically during the Fiji College of General Practitioners annual conference at the Shangrila Fijian Resort in Sigatoka.
“People are overeating, consuming calories more than they should be, taking in a lot of carbohydrates, red meat, sugar and carbonated drinks.
“People should choose a healthy life and contribute to national building.
“People are being complacent. They know they have the disease and have been advised to take medications and go for medical checks and still, they do not present themselves for regular check-up, even when they hold medical insurance.
“This is careless and complacent and people just don’t care that these non-communicable diseases are the cause of 80 per cent of deaths in Fiji.
“The Government is doing a lot, the doctors are doing a lot but we see that our people’s insight to be healthy is lacking.”
Dr Maharaj says we need to take responsibility and control of our lives which is why the College is putting more emphasis on promoting healthy living.
The FCGP has 234 members with a recent influx of doctors joining the private practice, he adds.