Food, nutrition and health in the Caribbean: a time for re-examination Part 1 - abstract

Today the countries of the English-speaking Carribean are at a crossroads. While the old problem of malnutrition in children has declined sharply, a large proportion of adults suffer from obesity. Estimates, according to Caribbean experts, are that 30 per cent of the population above 35 years of age are suffering from high blood pressure and 10-12 per cent from diabetes. The report "Health of the Americas" by the Pan American Health Organization shows that the countries are threatened with a massive epidemic of diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, stroke and cancer among adults, as these diseases are among the first five principal causes of deaths