Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is reversible, they’re not a death sentence.
This was the message imparted to about 20 dietitians from the Health Ministry in a five-day Live More Abundantly (LMA) training program in Lautoka.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji project manager Kiti Vasu said it was also imperative that health officers and dietitians in particular were made aware of such a message so they could communicate it to their respective communities.
“The rationale really is like this, if the disease is caused by your lifestyle then your lifestyle is the solution to manage that disease,” Ms Vasu said.
“So, research has shown that more than 70 per cent of NCDs are reversible and this is why we find it right to inform people of such a key message.
“This LMA program is a program whose principle is taken out of lifestyle medicine, a new discipline of medicine whereby lifestyle is used to manage NCDs or related illnesses.”
The five-day training at Lautoka’s Waterfront Hotel featured basic cooking skills and utilising natural resources to consume local and healthy foods.
Dietitians were also told of the need to make informed choices and always be aware of the health of the people in the communities they serve.
Since the implementation of the LMA program in 2017, ADRA Fiji has worked with the Health Ministry to conduct training and awareness in more than 30 communities.
