Healthy living

Alarming is the news that comes from the health sector. Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardio-vascular diseases are on the rise. They also account for a substantial percentage of deaths.

For example, almost one in five persons in the urban areas and one in 12 in rural areas are affected with diabetes. Even among schoolchildren 10 to 15 percent are affected with diabetes. Diabetes is becoming a killer disease though it could be controlled.

Two factors are responsible for this state of affairs. The first is the sedentary lifestyle and the unhealthy food habits among the population, especially among children and youth. The second is the lack of awareness among the population concerning such diseases - their causes, prevention and cure.

This is why healthy living is a necessity. However, it does not mean just the absence of disease or infirmity. As the World Health Organization defines it health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being. Very often lack of mental well being goes unnoticed in our society. Still less is the concern for social well being.

Our sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy food habits are also promoted by commercial advertising and the media in general. Children and young adults are lured to junk food through tempting advertisements even violating ethical principles.

There should be an all out effort to change over to a healthy lifestyle. It is not a matter for the health authorities alone. There should be a holistic approach. Healthcare, sports, education and other relevant ministries and institutions should work out a joint program to address this issue as a national priority. It would also be necessary to increase the co-unity health budget and give priority to preventive medicine in the overall heath strategy.

It is always better to catch adherents to a healthy lifestyle at an early age. Education authorities would have to give more emphasis to physical training and sports activities. This would involve enhanced capital outlays. It is sad that athletics, swimming and other less costly activities are not given prominence in our school sports.

The media, both print and electronic should be used to create public awareness about killer diseases and healthy living. In the 1970's there was a popular early morning program over the radio giving instructions on physical exercises. It was abandoned later, perhaps on commercial grounds.

Parents also have a role to play here. Unfortunately some parents, especially those in urban areas promote junk food. Also the craze of parents in driving their offspring to extra tuition depriving them of time for sports and recreation also harms the development of the children. As regards social wellbeing of the population much depends on the economic and political policies pursued by the Government and the role played by the civil society.

In conclusion, the need for change in the lifestyle should be emphasised, Here, the first task is a change in the attitude.

Legitimizing a Coup

The Honduras military which usurped the powers of the elected Government of President Manuel Zelaya has resisted domestic and foreign pressure to reinstate the President. Even international mediation could not change the intransigence of the coup leaders.

All this could be done because the United States kept on maintaining the illegal military regime against the wishes of the people of Honduras and the voice of the international community. The Iberio-Caribbean Summit that is meeting now has not endorsed the election that was held last week. Only four out of nearly three dozen countries have recognized the result.

It would be opportune here to look at the background developments which led to the coup. Zelaya was no Communist. Nor was he a Chavez or Castro. He was a liberal politician who understood the plight of the poor and tried to improve their lot constitutionally.

It was the oligarchy with interests in landed property and industry that were irked by his progressive reforms. They were supported by conservative elements in the legislature and the judiciary in an effort to halt the democratic advances enjoyed by the people.

The mass media with links to big business carried on a disinformation campaign falsely accusing Zelaya of trying to extend his term of office by another term. All this was part of the destabilization and coup plan. The military executed the final part on July 28 arresting the constitutionally elected President and dumping him in a foreign land against his wishes. He did not abdicate as the coup leaders wanted but kept on fighting.

Honduras, despite the illegal election boycotted by a large section of the people remains a land divide, a state expelled from the Organization of American States. It would not legitimize the coup in the eyes of world public opinion.