Chronic illnesses up demand on health care
By CANDIA DAMES
Guardia News Editor
candia@nasguard.com
Nassau, Bahamas
In The Bahamas, an estimated 500 people die annually from either heart disease or diabetes, which are both driven by obesity, according to health officials.
Diabetes, heart disease and strokes account for an estimated 1,700 admissions annually, notes Dr. Patrick Whitfield, a consultant in family medicine at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), who recently completed a paper on the growing risks posed by obesity in The Bahamas. worsen as time goes by in the absence of any significant change in lifestyles and our increasing prevalence of obesity which is largely driven by poor diets and lack of exercise.
“But it is far more complicated than that,” Dr. Whitfield said in an interview with The Nassau Guardian yesterday.
“I think universally people have been focusing on advising people to lose weight, exercise regularly, eat healthier meals but it is far more complex than that because that does not equate to behavioral change. What we need is behavioral change. “And there seems to be no correlation
between passing information on to members of the public — not just here but universally — and that actually leading to change in behavior.”
Dr. Whitfield notes in his paper — “Breaking the culture of obesity requires an intersectoral approach” — that in 2005, the Ministry of Health conducted a Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Prevalence and Risk Factor Survey which revealed that obesity is a significant risk factor in the population.
That study found that approximately 70 percent of the population is overweight. “What we see is the back end of the problem,” Dr. Whitfield told The Guardian. “We’re seeing more and more people getting heart attacks, more and more people are going into renal failure requiring dialysis, that comes from increasing incidence of high blood pressure, increasing incidence of diabetes which is driven by obesity, which is in turn driven by lifestyle.
“And so what we’re seeing is a number of issues that are now arising. We’re seeing people getting sicker, staying in hospital for longer periods of time. “We’re seeing people sustaining far more complications of these diseases, which has proven to be very, very costly to us.”
Officials at the Princess Margaret Hospital said recently that violence and other trauma cases are placing increasing pressure on their resources. The high crime rate is helping fuel the problem, they reported.
Dr. Whitfield said, “In spite of the fact that we have such a high degree of trauma in our society — motor vehicles, homicides and assaults — you will probably find the leading costing item in our Intensive Care Unit is as a result of strokes and heart attacks and so we’re seeing a lot of that.
“We’re also seeing families who are being decimated in terms of financial security where the leading breadwinner will become disabled or heaven forbid have a premature death which leaves the family vulnerable of course to all these financial issues.
“We’re seeing increasing costs in the private sector of insurance premiums. We’re seeing employers having to look at their bottom line and trying to devise schemes whereby they can continue their employee benefits, that is insurance premiums, with the risk of affecting their profit margins.”
Dr. Whitfield estimated that about 80 percent of the 1,700 admissions at PMH is as a result of chronic non-communicable diseases.
He said about $200 to $250 is spent per day, per patient. “We’re having more and more patients who are undergoing dialysis which ballpark costs anywhere between $70,000 and $80,000 per year, per patient and we have in excess of 100 patients now on dialysis,” Dr. Whitfield added.
Dr. Duane Sands, consultant surgeon at PMH, pointed out that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) predicts that the impact of these diseases on this economy and all the economies in the Caribbean region will be phenomenal.
“More so than any single other concern, chronic non-communicable diseases will impact our economy negatively by not only a 300 percent increase in deaths (over the next 20 years) but loss of productivity, illness, disability etc.,” Dr. Sands said.
“We’re looking for innovative ways to reduce the bottom line charge to the taxpayers. But if you say you want to have good health and you also want to have education, national security, immigration controls etc. then the money has to come from somewhere.”
4/22/2011
thenassauguardian
An International Caribbean Online Log about the news and opinions in the Americas and World. This Caribbean Blog of global reach and appeal is maintained by Bahamian Blogger - Dennis Dames with all readers and subscribers in mind.
Showing posts with label obesity Bahamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obesity Bahamas. Show all posts
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Childhood obesity is a growing concern in the Bahamas
New programme to tackle childhood obesity
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH professionals are teaming up to tackle the problem of childhood obesity, which they say is a growing concern in the Bahamas.
Darren Bastian, business development manager at Atlantic Medical Insurance, said insurers and health industry workers are seeing an increase in the number of children with diseases traditionally considered to be adult-specific, such as diabetes.
Atlantic Medical has teamed up with the Nassau chapter of The Links Incorporated, a non-profit organisation, to launch a childhood obesity programme in five pilot schools across the country.
Around 550 grade five students from St Anne's School, St John's College, Oakes Field Primary School, Sadie Curtiss Primary School and Woodcock Primary School will participate in the campaign, which aims to reverse the trend of childhood obesity.
They are being encouraged to participate in the annual Fun Walk fundraiser for the Cancer Society of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Diabetic Association. Last year the event generated $32,000 in donations to fund the two organisations.
"We are confident that over the years, Atlantic Medical Insurance Company Ltd has led the way in sensitising the Bahamian public about the importance of healthy lifestyles. We believe that if our children learn the importance of healthy lifestyles early in life that it becomes a win-win for everyone in the fight against lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and various kinds of cancer," Mr Bastian.
With the growing influence of technology, Mr Bastian said, many children are not as active as those who grew up just a generation ago.
He said local children used to entertain themselves with games that required exercise, such as "bat and ball".
Today, children usually sit in front of a game set with a bag of chips and exercise only their arms - by putting chips in their mouths, he said.
Childhood development is important, because "what is habit today becomes second nature tomorrow", said Mr Bastian.
"If a child develops unhealthy eating habits at a very young age that pattern will likely continue into adulthood," he said.
There is also a "ripple effect" in the system because of the problem of childhood obesity.
Mr Bastian said the healthier a population is, the more favourable insurance rates are. More diseases to treat and related higher the costs lead to higher insurance rates.
The role of a healthy lifestyle in disease prevention is a core focus of the annual fun walk and the school programme.
This is the 13th year of the fun walk and organisers expect to see many "fun walk babies" - children who first participated when they were infants in strollers and are now participating as teenagers, said Mr Bastian.
April 09, 2011
tribune242
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH professionals are teaming up to tackle the problem of childhood obesity, which they say is a growing concern in the Bahamas.
Darren Bastian, business development manager at Atlantic Medical Insurance, said insurers and health industry workers are seeing an increase in the number of children with diseases traditionally considered to be adult-specific, such as diabetes.
Atlantic Medical has teamed up with the Nassau chapter of The Links Incorporated, a non-profit organisation, to launch a childhood obesity programme in five pilot schools across the country.
Around 550 grade five students from St Anne's School, St John's College, Oakes Field Primary School, Sadie Curtiss Primary School and Woodcock Primary School will participate in the campaign, which aims to reverse the trend of childhood obesity.
They are being encouraged to participate in the annual Fun Walk fundraiser for the Cancer Society of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Diabetic Association. Last year the event generated $32,000 in donations to fund the two organisations.
"We are confident that over the years, Atlantic Medical Insurance Company Ltd has led the way in sensitising the Bahamian public about the importance of healthy lifestyles. We believe that if our children learn the importance of healthy lifestyles early in life that it becomes a win-win for everyone in the fight against lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and various kinds of cancer," Mr Bastian.
With the growing influence of technology, Mr Bastian said, many children are not as active as those who grew up just a generation ago.
He said local children used to entertain themselves with games that required exercise, such as "bat and ball".
Today, children usually sit in front of a game set with a bag of chips and exercise only their arms - by putting chips in their mouths, he said.
Childhood development is important, because "what is habit today becomes second nature tomorrow", said Mr Bastian.
"If a child develops unhealthy eating habits at a very young age that pattern will likely continue into adulthood," he said.
There is also a "ripple effect" in the system because of the problem of childhood obesity.
Mr Bastian said the healthier a population is, the more favourable insurance rates are. More diseases to treat and related higher the costs lead to higher insurance rates.
The role of a healthy lifestyle in disease prevention is a core focus of the annual fun walk and the school programme.
This is the 13th year of the fun walk and organisers expect to see many "fun walk babies" - children who first participated when they were infants in strollers and are now participating as teenagers, said Mr Bastian.
April 09, 2011
tribune242
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Childhood obesity in The Bahamas
Obesity crisis for Bahamian children
By CELESTE NIXON
Tribune Staff Reporter
cnixon@tribunemedia.net
Nassau, Bahamas
CHILDHOOD obesity is a serious concern in the Bahamas, with more than half the country's children being overweight, according to a local pediatrician.
Although there are no exact statistics available, Dr Jerome Lightbourn said he believes a significant portion of the next generation will not be able to live normal adult lives because of their weight.
Worse still, he said, many already show early signs of developing serious and possibly fatal obesity-related diseases.
The numbers that are available seem less alarming, but Dr Lightbourn is convinced they do not create an accurate picture.
Primary health care monthly reports, and the School Health Services annual report for 2004-2005, revealed that of 3,066 Bahamian 10-year-olds screened, 576 were considered overweight - a number which is still almost double the world average of 10 per cent.
For Dr Lightbourn, obesity as an "imported disease" and we only have to look to what is happening in other places to understand the extent of the danger.
He said: "We have had an influx of the western world, of mass produced foods with steroids, pesticides, hormones and the very popular fast foods."
The source of much of this food is the United States, and according to American Centre for Disease Control, childhood obesity in the US has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged six to 11 increased from 6.5 per cent in 1980 to 19.6 per cent in 2008.
Dr Lightbourn said: "We have grown up on good-tasting foods, for Bahamians that means fried chicken, macaroni and peas and rice, all high fat and high salt."
He said anyone consuming foods with a high salt and carbohydrate content runs the risk of developing diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.
"It is a cultural and generational problem. We need to address it from a public health perspective just as we address AIDS, cancer and cigarette smoking, obesity is probably killing more people than any of them," said Dr Lightbourn.
Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition which affects children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height.
This is called a body mass index (BMI).
When a person's BMI is 25 or greater, they are considered morbidly obese, said Dr Lightbourn.
Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start children on the path to health problems which were once confined to adults.
"The issue in the Bahamas, and around the world, is that adult onset life style diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and even cholesterol are now being associated with childhood," said Dr. Lightbourn.
"We are seeing these diseases in younger and younger people. Heart disease in no longer a 70-year-old issue, it is a 30-year-old disease."
Dr Lightbourn, an advisor at the Princess Margaret Hospital, revealed there are at least four children under the age of 12 in the children's ward who are not only obese but diabetic - a condition which can lead to kidney failure, heart disease, or blindness among other illnesses.
He said: "There needs to be a year-long campaign, not just during Heart Month, and should be a united approach by educators, parents and the government."
Dr Lightbourn recommends that children exercise for one hour every day, and that sodas and unhealthy foods be eliminated from cafeterias.
He also stressed the importance of parents and teachers leading by example and making important lifestyle changes themselves.
February 12, 2011
tribune242
By CELESTE NIXON
Tribune Staff Reporter
cnixon@tribunemedia.net
Nassau, Bahamas
CHILDHOOD obesity is a serious concern in the Bahamas, with more than half the country's children being overweight, according to a local pediatrician.
Although there are no exact statistics available, Dr Jerome Lightbourn said he believes a significant portion of the next generation will not be able to live normal adult lives because of their weight.
Worse still, he said, many already show early signs of developing serious and possibly fatal obesity-related diseases.
The numbers that are available seem less alarming, but Dr Lightbourn is convinced they do not create an accurate picture.
Primary health care monthly reports, and the School Health Services annual report for 2004-2005, revealed that of 3,066 Bahamian 10-year-olds screened, 576 were considered overweight - a number which is still almost double the world average of 10 per cent.
For Dr Lightbourn, obesity as an "imported disease" and we only have to look to what is happening in other places to understand the extent of the danger.
He said: "We have had an influx of the western world, of mass produced foods with steroids, pesticides, hormones and the very popular fast foods."
The source of much of this food is the United States, and according to American Centre for Disease Control, childhood obesity in the US has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged six to 11 increased from 6.5 per cent in 1980 to 19.6 per cent in 2008.
Dr Lightbourn said: "We have grown up on good-tasting foods, for Bahamians that means fried chicken, macaroni and peas and rice, all high fat and high salt."
He said anyone consuming foods with a high salt and carbohydrate content runs the risk of developing diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.
"It is a cultural and generational problem. We need to address it from a public health perspective just as we address AIDS, cancer and cigarette smoking, obesity is probably killing more people than any of them," said Dr Lightbourn.
Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition which affects children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height.
This is called a body mass index (BMI).
When a person's BMI is 25 or greater, they are considered morbidly obese, said Dr Lightbourn.
Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start children on the path to health problems which were once confined to adults.
"The issue in the Bahamas, and around the world, is that adult onset life style diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and even cholesterol are now being associated with childhood," said Dr. Lightbourn.
"We are seeing these diseases in younger and younger people. Heart disease in no longer a 70-year-old issue, it is a 30-year-old disease."
Dr Lightbourn, an advisor at the Princess Margaret Hospital, revealed there are at least four children under the age of 12 in the children's ward who are not only obese but diabetic - a condition which can lead to kidney failure, heart disease, or blindness among other illnesses.
He said: "There needs to be a year-long campaign, not just during Heart Month, and should be a united approach by educators, parents and the government."
Dr Lightbourn recommends that children exercise for one hour every day, and that sodas and unhealthy foods be eliminated from cafeterias.
He also stressed the importance of parents and teachers leading by example and making important lifestyle changes themselves.
February 12, 2011
tribune242
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