Shandil says people need to make changes in their consumption patterns in order to see positive changes.

There is a greater need to educate and empower people in adopting a healthier lifestyle in combating non-communicable diseases.

This was highlighted by the Chief Executive of the Consumer Council of Fiji, Seema Shandil, who says she understands that it cannot be done overnight.

Shandil says people need to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and she also states that increasing taxes on processed foods is not an effective option.

“We worked on a project towards NCD where we made a submission to the government for policy change in sugar, sweets, and beverages, and after that, we saw that there was a consistent increase in every budget for SSBs, but if you look at the sales side, you would see that the sale of certain beverages during festive seasons will spike up.”

Shandil says people need to make changes in their consumption patterns in order to see positive changes.

She is also urging all relevant agencies to work together to ensure accurate information is disseminated to the public.