Cultural Influences on Obesity in The Bahamas

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the Bahamian society and one of the biggest issues we face in our flawed humanity. Obesity is defined as excessive weight gain which results in health risks such as diabetes, heart disease, and so forth.

The rising prevalence of obesity in The Bahamas has become a normalized standard in our culture resulting in high risks to chronic non-communicable diseases. In the article, “Tackling Obesity in The Bahamas”, Larry Smith examines the steadily growing obesity epidemic that individuals suffer from in our country. He states several explanations for the rising obesity rate and he also draws attention to the nonchalant views our society holds for healthy living. The Bahamian people have grown accustomed to obesity and as a result it has become an inherent part of our culture. In fact, the Bahamian culture generates obesity through its poor diet, lack of nutritional education and lack of discipline for exercise. Our poor diet and food choices has contributed significantly to health risks such as obesity. Food is an inherent part of the Bahamian culture with influences from Spain, England and the American South proving our diet is diverse and rich in flavor. However, despite the many cultural influences and traditions from around the world, the food is nutritionally depraved.

Our food choices consist of poorly prepared foods that do not follow dietary guidelines for a balanced diet. The typical Bahamian Sunday dinner consists of deep-fried chicken, cheese coated baked macaroni, fattening peas and rice, fried plantains etc. These foods may seem appetizing but are saturated in fat, sugar, starch and salt, meanwhile there are very few dishes that are nutritionally balanced. Continuously eating these unhealthy and dreadful foods will ultimately lead to a life of obesity. In addition to our unbalanced diets, Bahamians constantly snack in between meals. Instead of consuming healthy snacks such as fruits, nuts and vegetables, Bahamians eat chips or candies which have low nutritional content.

Also, there is no limitations with the amount of highly seasoned foods that Bahamians consume. Our large portion sizes have also been linked to our obesity rate. Bahamians consume vast amounts of unhealthy foods that are not essential for the body. Bahamians often splurge and indulge in overeating large amounts of food with a lack of self-control. Overeating unhealthy foods only provides satiety and the large number of calories consumed can result in weight gain. In Smith’s article, he states that food has become more readily available for the public consumption. Our rapid cultural change to society has shifted away from our usual healthy foods to westernized diets and eating styles. With the convenience of American fast food establishments like Wendy’s, KFC, Popeyes, Bahamians are now not only eating more unhealthy foods but also doing so more frequently with easier access. American fast food franchises are so established in the Bahamas that they are now considered part of the Bahamian culture. Along with American fast food restaurants, The Bahamas has established some of its own restaurants such as Bamboo Shack and Sammy’s Chicken. Many people can find these restaurants near their homes. With the high intake of calories from these fast foods, individuals will potentially obtain unhealthy eating habits, which will result in obesity.

Additionally, within our culture, the lack of nutritional education within our school systems has failed to teach students about nutrition and thus further contributes to obesity. Lack of knowledge of nutritional value comes from the level of education one has received. Many Bahamians are unaware of their eating habits Courses in the school curriculum, such as Food and Nutrition and Biology that address obesity and chronic illnesses, are optional and not made mandatory for students. These classes that are placed in the curriculum serves to educate individuals on nutrition and serves as an important source of student health. Courses such as Food and Nutrition should be used as an effective means on how to make healthier life choices and tackle the on-going obesity problem and therefore should be made mandatory. However, because of the choice to make these courses optional in the curriculum, the availability to students to gain important information regarding health is difficult. As a result, many students are ignorant about healthy living.

Also, physical education in school is offered about once a week. This course helps promote healthy living outside the typical classroom setting and provide opportunities to stay active. Its purpose is to get students engage in high quality exercise. With only offering class once a week, students are unable to get the regular exercise. Furthermore, many schools do not offer a large variety of food during lunch. Some schools do not encourage healthy living because they do provide healthy lunches for students and thus they do not have the opportunity to eat healthy. Due to the lack of nutritional knowledge students tend to pick the unhealthy foods offered. The lunch that is served lack the nutritional value that is crucial for an individual’s health. These lunches include foods such as fried chicken, fries, ribs, etc. In the article, Smith presents several statistics regarding childhood obesity. He reveals that 10% of 1st grade students, 18% of 6th grade students, and ¼ of 10th grade students are obese. These statistics displays the upcoming problem of obesity in the youth. The food served at the cafeteria is of low quality and are non-nutrient dense. Some students tend to purchase lunch from school as they are unable to bring theirs from home and it is also inexpensive.

Lastly, the lack of discipline for exercise for many Bahamian people increase obesity within our society. One reason is that The Bahamas does not prioritize exercise as an important aspect in our society. Smith reveals in his article that 70% of Bahamians between the ages of 21 and 60 are obese. This is mostly caused due to the lack of exercise. Individuals tend to look at exercise as a means to only lose weight and not as a lifestyle. When persons achieve their goal, many of them tend to abandon the lifestyle of regular exercise and eventually retreat to their old routine. Persons retreating to their old routines will influence unhealthy life choices thus resulting in health risks. Also, some Bahamians look for excuses as to why fitness is not a priority in their life such as they cannot find the time to exercise. Exercise serves as a great tool to weight maintenance and promote healthy life choices.Moreover, many people in the Bahamas have sedentary jobs that require moderate exercise. In some cases, people that have jobs that do not require a lot of physical activity often eat lunches that are heavily saturated in fat and sugar. They consume so much that they do not exercise the amount they intake. With this, persons do not burn calories during their working hours resulting in weight gain. Sedentary lifestyle has contributed to weight related conditions such as obesity.

The alarming number of individuals with obesity in the Bahamas has become an issue affecting the wellbeing of our people. The Bahamian people have become susceptible to obesity and its negative influences. The many cultural attributions such as our poor diet, lack of discipline for exercise, and lack of nutritional education has made Bahamians vulnerable to obesity. To reduce the risk of obesity it is essential to reduce the intake of unhealthy food and replace them with more nutritionally balanced foods. Also, the education system needs to promote exercise and the benefits it has towards individuals’ health. “You cannot buy health, you must earn it through healthy living” is a quote stated by Joel Fuhrman, who emphasizes the need for healthy living and help individuals on the right path towards leading a better lifestyle.