In an island where debates on political and economic strategy seem to have no limit, many wonder why important issues like the health of the nation rarely make an impact on public opinion. Yet our economic future greatly depends on the health of our people and their ability to contribute to creating wealth while not burdening our free health system with avoidable and expensive medical treatment.

It takes the publication of some shocking health-related statistics to bring home to many the threats that modern lifestyles pose to our and our children’s health. Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne recently confirmed that “10 per cent of kindergarten children already had enamel decay and required treatment”.

One just wonders what the health of our younger generations will be like in a few years time after drinking gallons of soft drinks, eating thousands of fat laden fast food snacks, and burning as little energy as possible by spending long hours playing video games or surfing the internet on a comfortable chair.

A strategy for healthy living, as rightly pointed out by Mr Fearne, has to be two-pronged: encouraging health eating and getting young people to engage in more physical activity. Obesity among young people is a malady affecting most affluent societies and Malta is no exception. Excessive eating is not only a way of showing off one’s ability to buy easily available but unhealthy food, but also a signal of stress in young people’s lives and the inability to deal with it.

Many argue that it is the government’s responsibility to impose taxes on junk food to discourage its consumption. This will almost certainly be counterproductive and punish those who can least afford to buy healthy food. Governments do have a responsibility to encourage lifestyle changes of so many young people who are apparently unaware that their over-eating and lack of exercise will soon get them into serious health problems.

But the government’s role should be based on strengthening the education system to encourage more young people to eat healthier food and to exercise more. This concept is easier to define than to implement.

Some believe that healthier food often costs more than junk food and can take more time to prepare. Those who are not so well off in society can easily be discouraged from taking the long-term view on adopting healthy eating habits. These are the people that need to be taught that wholesome, appetising and healthy eating need not be more expensive to prepare or buy than unhealthy junk food. The economics of healthy eating is convincing as long as it is taught in a non-patronising style.

Our more affluent lifestyle may also be discouraging younger people from running in the open fields, climbing trees, and doing all the energy burning things that previous generations of poorer but healthier youngsters did a few decades ago.

Admittedly some younger people today engage in a number of well organised sporting events, but they are probably not the majority.

If voluntary organisations are given public funds to provide better sporting facilities to young people in our towns and villages, we may see a reversal of the worrying trend of increasing sedentary lifestyles among the young. After all we are blessed with a glorious climate that should make it a pleasure to be outdoors burning up energy for most times of the year.

Giving teeth to the nation’s health strategy is best achieved through better education.

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