Dieticians and nutritionists have advocated for the adoption of fruits and natural foods for the treatment of diseases and the overall well-being of Nigerians.
They muted this at the World Registered Dietician Nutritionist Day organised by the Association of Nigeria Dieticians, Lagos Chapter at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos State.
The WRDN day, commemorated every second Wednesday in March, has its theme for 2024 as ‘Beyond the Table’.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr Benjamin Eniayewun, represented by the Assistant Director, Medical Services of the HSC, Dr Omolara Oyadotun, urged dietician-nutritionists to continue to advocate healthy eating to achieve better health indices in the state.
“Good food doesn’t start from what is placed on the table, it starts from the planted seed to when it is harvested, stored, processed, transported and gets to the final consumer. Food is beyond the table. Instead of taking processed foods, it is better to take fruits and vegetables,” he advised.
Eniayewun decried the linguistic disconnect in health communication and advised participants to communicate health advice in local languages.
On her part, the Medical Director of the General Hospital, Odan, Dr Abiola Mafe, stated that the concept of food involved planting, processing and consumption.
She condemned the practice of adding unhealthy chemicals to food items during processing to make them look appealing, stating that such additives make the food unhealthy. For consumption.
The AND president, Jessie Nwankwo, noted that the conference’s theme addressed the farm-to-food aspect of nutrition, adding that it was also an advocacy for the adoption of natural foods as against processed foods.
She added that the day was meant to “raise the profile of all dieticians on the valuable work they do, especially in clinical services.
“It is to also encourage and attract key stakeholders to the profession to help shape the future of feeding and healthy living for the general populace,” she added.
A Consultant Clinical Dietician at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Obinna Ogbonna, who is the guest speaker, stated that the dynamics of medicine are now shifting from curative to preventive, adding that cardiovascular diseases can be treated with diet.
He also corrected the notion that dieticians are chefs, home economists and caterers, and urged the government to prioritise dieticians and nutritionists during employment in the healthcare sector.
The dietician-nutritionist called for the adoption of fruits and food as medicine and also warned against the consumption of processed foods.
Ogbonna said, “30 per cent of the deaths in Nigeria are as a result of noncommunicable diseases. These are diseases that are a result of lifestyle or dietary intake. That is why we’re going to dwell on dietary modification. So beyond what is on the table and what you eat, do you understand what you are eating? What you should eat is beyond the table.
“Which are the foods that can serve as medicine? These are foods that are whole foods that act as medicine to heal and protect your body and boost your immune system. One of the best disease-fighting foods is dark, leafy greens, which include everything from spinach, ugu, bitterleaf, worowo, and waterleaf. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate iron, magnesium, carotenoids, phytochemicals and antioxidants.”
Commenting on how the economic situation has reduced the purchasing power and caused the inability of people to meet dietary needs, the consultant dietician urged Nigerians to consume natural and cheaper alternatives of nutrient-giving foods such as legumes and vegetables.
Furthermore, he said tomatoes contain a nutrient, lycopene, which could reduce the risk of cancer but warned that the green leafy part of the tomatoes should be removed before consumption to prevent food poisoning.
Ogbonna enjoined Nigerians to stay off processed foods as they contain genetically modified ingredients that could cause adverse reactions and worsen underlying health conditions.
SOURCE:PUNCH