The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The results of the latest Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) survey of November and December 2024 is a wakeup call for the nation.
The results are alarming to say the least with a record level of people who are obese and those who have high sugar levels in the blood. High Blood pressure is also a concern with large numbers showing up.
The problem first starts from the Bhutanese diet.
In the past people ate rice and meat, but both were not eaten frequently. Meat was a luxury item that was eaten only a few times in a year and in many parts of Bhutan even rice was a luxury.
In the old way of cooking, the rice gruel was thrown out, which meant a lot of the starch was thrown out too, unlike the rice cooker cooking of today.
In our today’s diet we eat like every day is Losar. Add to this the entry of junk food and fast food and snacking and we have a major issue on our hands.
The Bhutanese obsession with rice is not healthy and causing innumerable health issues. It is okay to eat rice with portion control and vegetables or salads, but most Bhutanese do not have a concept of portion control or including a lot of fiber in their food.
Our national dish of sorts is ema datshi but here too it is made fatty with butter and oil and there is a high amount of salt used.
A modern issue is the above diet combined with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. In the old days people were very active in the villages or had to traverse long distances over hills and mountains on foot.
It will be a challenge to spot obese people in old Bhutanese pictures. However, now we have a growing army of couch potatoes made worse by an addictive social media.
The growth of NCDs will exact a high economic and social price on Bhutan if we do not act and fast.
There needs to be a massive awareness campaign on the right diet and need for exercise. The infrastructure like places to exercise and walk also need to be created.
“Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”
– Eleanor Brown