Jale Daucakacaka 
Authorities need to act now to nip the diabetes crisis in the bud before it gets out of control.
Diabetes Fiji Board Chair Mohammed Taabish Akbar says the chronic disease is reaching a critical stage due to unhealthy lifestyles and diets.
“We need to change our lifestyles, basically go back to our traditional way of eating. The traditional foods. Now, unfortunately, fast foods is the way to go.”
Akbar says healthy living must be implemented into the education system to teach students about the proper foods to eat from an early age.
In statistics released by the Ministry of Health, 17.7 percent of adults in Fiji have diabetes, with the percentage of adults with obesity currently at 30.2 percent.
According to a statement, the ministry remains concerned with the rise of Non-Communicable Diseases and advocates for a healthy lifestyle to address the four main risk factors, such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, alcohol use, and unhealthy diets.
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