With out clear water, Pacific Islanders flip to sugary drinks—tackling this might cut back weight problems

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). It is a downside as a result of weight problems will increase the chance 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 ingesting water performs an neglected position. And not using a protected ingesting water provide, many households might flip to sugary drinks in its place. This sort of substitution will increase the chance 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 situation in Kiribati, with households relying primarily on unprotected groundwater (40%) and rainwater (28%) for ingesting.

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 includes 33 low-lying islands (with a median 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 creating 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 setting that exacerbates well being challenges and contributes to weight problems.

What will be completed about it?

Solely one-third of the inhabitants in Kiribati has entry to a protected piped water system for ingesting.

The remainder of the inhabitants use unprotected groundwater and rainwater. However they can’t afford costly tank kits, filters and therapy techniques to take away dangerous contaminants in water reminiscent of animal waste and chemical compounds. Locals are conscious of those dangers and subsequently look to different choices.

Enhancing entry to scrub, protected ingesting water could be a cost-effective public coverage that reduces sugary drink consumption and addresses the broader public well being problem of weight problems.

To attain this objective, plenty of interventions are wanted, reminiscent of:

• making certain households that depend on rainwater harvesting have entry to tank kits, filters and therapy techniques to take away dangerous contaminants
• creating seawater desalination vegetation that depend on clear vitality sources. This could enhance entry to scrub, piped water however comes at a big price
• taxing sugary drinks to cut back consumption. In Mexico, a ten% improve within the worth of sugary drinks led to an 11.6% lower of their consumption.

Local weather change will compound the issue

Water insecurity in small island creating 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 ingesting water, entrenching reliance on sugary drinks.

This phenomenon is comparable in international locations characterised by greater ranges of sugary drinks imports and intakes, reminiscent of in Niue, Cook dinner Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Palau, but in addition for Australia’s distant Indigenous communities for whom entry to protected ingesting water is not assured and sugary drink consumption is excessive.

Addressing water insecurity and weight problems in tandem provides a possibility to create sustainable options and construct resilience towards among the opposed results local weather change can have on public well being.

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