Hilary Robertson-Hickling
WHEN ARNOLD SCWARZNEGGER, the Terminator and Governor of California, signed a law banning particular types of food and drink from California's public schools, he was following a new trend which indicates that for our children to survive the global epidemic of obesity we need a new diet.
Here in Jamaica the Rastafarians and Seventh-day Adventists were early pioneers in pointing to new directions in nutrition for Jamaicans and the world. In the proverbial wilderness, they battle with the American fast food giants which have contributed to the ill health of millions in the world. The need for the development and expansion of school-feeding programmes by the ministries of Health and Education to the basic school level has been made very clear and we need to start to feed our child healthy food and other influences from before they are born.
OTHER INFLUENCES
We need also to realise that our wellness does not only depend on the food we eat, but the other influences that we ingest from the environment. The music that we absorb is a case in point. On my way to the airport at 4.30 one morning, I passed a concert on a stage which was no doubt erected without permission of the authorities at the foot of Jacks Hill. On the stage a young man unleashed a string of obscenities about that part of a woman's anatomy through which he was born. I do not know if this was 'man love' or 'woman hate', but I watched the faces of some of the audience and I could not see any response. What is the effect of the cursing, violence and woman-hating lyrics which are so popular in this country?
I am curious to know the things that that young man had said to his mother in the recent wave of Mother's Day celebrations. What kind of woman loves a man like that? What kind of father is he? We are not aware of the impact of the things that we ingest. The role of nutritionists and other professionals who promote healthy lifestyles need to be at the centre of our lives. Jamaica could be one of the centres of health in the world. Physical exercise, natural food, other organic products could become well established in a country which has in the past, and in the future will continue to produce some of the finest athletes in the world.
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The United Nations has developed a programme of sports and development which has been very effective in many countries experiencing problems. These problems include post-civil war situations in which sports is able to be a catalyst for good, clean fun, and work within a structure with clearly defined rules. We have to develop more national programmes to do the very same thing in Jamaica, although there has been considerable development in sports in recent years.
A healthy body and a healthy mind are at the base of a healthy society and Jamaica could become a healthy society. The practice of medicine is also changing as practitioners take to the airwaves and the highways and byways to get the message of wellness out. Organisations are also promoting wellness in their employees who are ultimately more productive and feel better about themselves.
Hilary Robertson-Hickling is a lecturer in the Department of Management Studies, University of the West Indies, Mona.
