According to the World Health Organisation, nearly three-quarters of deaths in The Bahamas are caused by cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Local nutritionist Donovan Ingraham said this much while addressing the Rotary Club of Nassau West yesterday.

Mr. Ingraham, who has several years of experience under his belt and is registered with the United Kingdom’s registry of Voluntary Nutritionists said Bahamians need to start eating healthier and exercising a bit more, as it could be the key to a longer life.

“Scientific studies have shown that the epidemic of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis and even obesity are related to the fact that we are not consuming the proper meals that we should be,” he said.

“The WHO diagnosed in 2008 that the world obesity population was over 1 billion people and of that figure, 200 to 300 of those individuals were overweight. Scientific studies have shown a direct relationship between obesity and non-communicable diseases the ones I mentioned and all other ailments related to non-communicable.”

“With this severe number being so high, we need to not only educate ourselves, but the generations behind us on how to change the epidemic of what’s happening in this country.”

Scharad Johnson, a certified clinical exercise physiologist, meantime urges Bahamians to take the risks of obesity very seriously as it will soon be diagnosed as a chronic disease.

The physiologist pointed to the standard lifestyle Bahamians have adapted of eating a lot of starchy foods and mixing it with very little exercise, even in children.

“We’ve seen a number of children, not only are they not playing outside anymore, but they’re not getting hurt and they’re not socialising with friends, but they’re on video games and computers and socialising that way,” he said.

“Obesity has been a pig epidemic around the world and here in The Bahamas. We see now that at the age of 40, we’re having major heart attacks, family members are dropping down dead and we’re being diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension. Studies have shown that exercise not only works as a way to train for sports or to get muscular. But it’s also used to treat all kinds of non-communicable diseases.”

Mr. Ingraham studied in both the UK and Canada and works along with Mr. Johnson, who has experience in cardiac, pulmonary and orthopedic conditioning at the Bahamas Medical Center.

It’s there that they provide proper nutrition consultation and training for dieting and exercise.