Not all residents have entry to protected consuming water. Credit score: Division of Overseas Affairs and Commerce, CC BY
One in two folks within the Pacific Islands is classed as obese (with a physique mass index of 25–29) or overweight (a BMI of 30 or above). This can be a downside as a result of weight problems will increase the danger of well being circumstances reminiscent of diabetes, coronary heart illness, strokes and a few cancers.
Whereas numerous elements contribute to weight problems, restricted entry to scrub consuming water performs an neglected position. With no protected consuming water provide, many households might flip to sugary drinks as a substitute. One of these substitution will increase the danger of weight problems.
Our new analysis explored how water insecurity within the Pacific island nation of Kiribati correlates with sugary drink consumption. We used survey knowledge, together with greater than 2,000 households unfold over 21 rural and concrete islands, to trace locals’ water provide and their consumption of sugary drinks reminiscent of comfortable drinks and juice.
Water insecurity is an enormous subject in Kiribati, with households relying primarily on unprotected groundwater (40%) and rainwater (28%) for consuming.
We discovered households that relied on unprotected groundwater and rainwater drank 381–406 grams extra sugary drinks per week than these with entry to a piped water system. For households with water insecurity, this brings their weekly consumption to greater than 1.7 liters.
Dietary drivers of weight problems
Situated in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, the Republic of Kiribati contains 33 low-lying islands (with a mean peak of three meters above sea degree) and a inhabitants of 133,000.
The Kiribati archipelago is unfold throughout a large maritime territory, neighboring different Pacific international locations such because the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. This makes our outcomes comparatively generalizable to different enclaved international locations and small island growing states in Micronesia.
Households within the Pacific Islands are already grappling with the dietary adjustments globalization and urbanization have introduced. Conventional diets of contemporary fish, root greens and native fruits have been partially changed by processed meals and sugary drinks. These are excessive in energy and low in vitamin.
These dietary shifts, mixed with water insecurity, create an surroundings that exacerbates well being challenges and contributes to weight problems.
What will be performed about it?
Just one-third of the inhabitants in Kiribati has entry to a protected piped water system for consuming.
The remainder of the inhabitants use unprotected groundwater and rainwater. However they can’t afford costly tank kits, filters and therapy programs to take away dangerous contaminants in water reminiscent of animal waste and chemical substances. Locals are conscious of those dangers and subsequently look to different choices.
Bettering entry to scrub, protected consuming water is usually a cost-effective public coverage that reduces sugary drink consumption and addresses the broader public well being problem of weight problems.
To attain this purpose, plenty of interventions are wanted, reminiscent of:
making certain households that depend on rainwater harvesting have entry to tank kits, filters and therapy programs to take away dangerous contaminants
growing seawater desalination vegetation that depend on clear vitality sources. This may enhance entry to scrub, piped water however comes at a big value
taxing sugary drinks to cut back consumption. In Mexico, a ten% improve within the value of sugary drinks led to an 11.6% lower of their consumption.
Local weather change will compound the issue
Water insecurity in small island growing nations reminiscent of Kiribati are exacerbated by local weather change. Rising sea ranges are contaminating freshwater sources with salt, whereas extra frequent and extreme droughts are straining already restricted assets.
These climate-related pressures make it more and more troublesome for communities to entry clear consuming water, entrenching reliance on sugary drinks.
This phenomenon is comparable in international locations characterised by larger ranges of sugary drinks imports and intakes, reminiscent of in Niue, Prepare dinner Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Palau, but additionally for Australia’s distant Indigenous communities for whom entry to protected consuming water is not assured and sugary drink consumption is excessive.
Addressing water insecurity and weight problems in tandem presents a chance to create sustainable options and construct resilience towards a number of the opposed results local weather change can have on public well being.
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With out clear water, Pacific Islanders flip to sugary drinks—tackling this might cut back weight problems (2024, December 21)
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