As a designated Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados Inc. Childhood Obesity Prevention Champion, I wanted to take the opportunity of the observation of World Obesity Day to draw on faith teachings to help promote an awareness of healthy eating and lifestyles.
World Obesity Day was previously observed on October 11 but changed to March 4 from this year. The day is observed globally with the view of promoting practical solutions to end the global obesity crisis. It is organised by the World Obesity Federation, a non-profit body that has official relations with the World Health Organization. World Obesity states that its aim is to “lead and drive global efforts to reduce, prevent and treat obesity.”
The first World Obesity Day took place in 2015. The second in 2016 focused on childhood obesity. World Obesity Day 2017 was themed Treat Obesity Now and Avoid the Consequences Later. It called for investment in treatment services to support people affected by obesity, early intervention to improve the success of treatment, and prevention to reduce the need for treatment.
The World Obesity Day website explains the thrust this year: “We are launching a new World Obesity Day on March 4, 2020, to call for a global response to this critical challenge. Obesity is now a global crisis that affects 650 million people worldwide, but is poorly understood. The complexity of the disease, the challenge of developing sustainable solutions and the burden of stigma means we need to work together to address the challenge.
“The new World Obesity Day will include global recognition as well as regional and national campaigns and local activities and events. Organisations from across the world will acknowledge and celebrate our efforts on 4 March 2020. Together, we can change the narrative around obesity.”
In recent years, Barbadians have been warned of the increasing prevalence of NCDs (non-communicable diseases) and their harmful and deadly effects on a vast number of our citizens. What and how much we eat contributes significantly to the resulting devastating effect on our bodies.
Our faith-based traditions in both Islam and Christianity speak to what enhances the body and what defiles it. Unfortunately, in both our faiths, the practitioners don’t follow these God-given commands and prescriptions for healthy lifestyles.
Christians are now in the period of Lent, a time for religious devotion but equally a time for restoration of mind, body and spirit. Fasting and staying away from unhealthy foods, thoughts and deeds are highly recommended during this period and hopefully, will carry throughout the year after the Lenten period. Indeed, I have learnt from friends among the Seventh Day Adventists that their diet is very strict and surely an example to follow. My friend, Canon Noel Burke, is another example of healthy living with the right diet and exercise.
Similarly, Muslims have the period of Ramadan which will start in another month and a half this year. It is during this 29-30 days of complete fasting in the daylight hours and increased spiritual activity during the night that observant Muslims are also expected to restore themselves in mind, body and spirit.
Our respective faiths do treat beyond these periods of restoration and encourage us to always seek to have healthy thoughts and practice healthy living.
Food is an integral part of all human beings. No human can go without food and drink for extended periods of time without suffering grave repercussions. Similarly, too much food and drink or consumption of the wrong foods can also be detrimental to our welfare.
There are several important strictures relating to food and its consumption. Two important Arabic words for Muslims especially as it relates to what we eat and drink are ‘haram’ and ‘halal’. The word ‘haram’ means prohibited. Relative to food and drink, there are certain types that are strictly forbidden for Muslims to consume and we must not consume them at all.
‘Halal’, on the other hand, is that which is permissible and we can enjoy that which God has made acceptable to consume. The Holy Quran in several verses tells us “Eat of the good things which We have provided for you.” Or “Eat of what is lawful and wholesome on the earth.”
Most Muslims have an understanding of those foods that are halal and those that are haram and most will avoid the haram and embrace the halal. The challenge comes in how much of the halal is taken in and so other reminders are necessary as we navigate through eating right and healthy. The scriptures, in instructing us to eat of the lawful and wholesome items on the earth, also very importantly remind us in other verses: “And eat and drink, but waste not in extravagance, certainly He likes not those who waste in extravagance.”
This waste and extravagance in food can be in overeating and not giving the body a balanced diet. The Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him, clarified the meaning and limit of moderation in a tradition in which he is reported to have said that one’s worst weakness is one’s belly. If you must eat, make sure you fill one third of your stomach with food, one third with water and leave one third for air, i.e., leave it empty.
Moderating our eating and balancing between eating and fasting helps the body to overcome many challenges it faces. Intermittent fasting is now a proven course of action. Faith practitioners have known this for centuries. Lent for Christians and Ramadan for Muslims provide these opportunities of recalibrating ourselves.
The challenges tend to arise outside of these periods and the weakness of human nature causes us to fall back into bad eating routines. Even Muslims who stick strictly to halal can still have several health challenges from poor eating habits. ‘Halal’ fast food is now becoming a habit among members of our community and this too increases the risk of NCDs. And while alcohol is ‘haram’, soft drinks aren’t, and that certainly has become a habit that helps in the onset of obesity and diabetes.
As we observe World Obesity Day this year, which falls in the time of Lent for Christians and on the doorsteps of Ramadan for Muslims, let us all commit to bringing a healthier lifestyle into our habits. Proper diet, exercise and spiritual activities will all help us attain that emotional and physical well-being we all crave.
Suleiman Bulbulia is a Justice of the Peace; Secretary of the Barbados Muslim Association; Muslim Chaplain at the Cave Hill Campus, UWI and a Childhood Obesity Prevention Champion. Email: suleimanbulbulia@hotmail.com
