06 Dec 2017

An official from DPSM in Gaborone has urged public servants to embrace a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating balanced diets.

Mr Gobuamang Kgoreletso encouraged public servants during wellness day activities that had attracted public servants of district administration, information and broadcasting services in Kanye and the surrounding villages.

The day was organised by public servants in an effort to promote healthy living and healthy eating.

Mr Kgoreletso said most illnesses were a result of the inability to live healthy, and urged all to exercise for 30 minutes daily and to eat properly.

Furthermore, he noted that a high number of non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension, cancer and sugar diabetes were a result of changes in lifestyle for many Batswana.

He also highlighted lack of physical activity, poor unbalanced diet, and the failure to eat fruits and vegetables, alcohol consumption and smoking as among the major causes of non-communicable diseases.

Mr Kgoreletso cautioned that high blood pressure was a silent killer as one could not see the symptoms until he/she visited a health facility to conduct some tests.

“Failure to adhere to treatment could result in heart failure, stroke, kidneys not functioning and blurred vision,” he said.

He also sensitised those who attended the event to be privy of symptoms of sugar diabetes such as drinking water regularly, eating too much, frequent urination, weight loss and fatigue just to mention a few.

Giving a word of encouragement, Ms Seselotswang Nkape of Kanye School of Nursing said when everyone had made their resolutions on leading healthy lifestyles it was important to give them a boost and ensure that they knew which healthy foods to eat.

She added that healthy exercise coupled with eating healthy foods in the right quantities created a healthy nation.

Ms Nkape said lifestyle diseases were defined as diseases linked with the way people lived their life. She stated that it was commonly caused by alcohol, drug and smoking abuse as well as lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating.

She said it had been reported that over-weight was one of the factors which has led to the rise of high cancer rates.

She explained that diseases that impacted on lifestyle were heart diseases, stroke, obesity and type II diabetes, adding that a healthy diet was one that helped to maintain or improve overall health.

She noted that a healthy diet provided the body with essential nutrition, fluids, adequate essential amino acids from protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and adequate calories.

Ms Nkape highlighted that the requirements for a healthy diet could be met from a variety of plant-based vegetables, grains and animal-based foods.

She said a healthy diet supported energy needs and provided for human nutrition without exposure to toxicity or excessive weight gain from consuming more than the body required.

She encouraged public servants to eat traditional foods, exercise daily, to drink a lot of water and to avoid eating heavy meals for supper.

She said consuming too much fats and fried foods was dangerous to the body.

She also said eating too much meat at weddings and funerals should be avoided at all costs.

Ms Segametsi Koontse from district administration said the objectives of the day was to encourage public servants to exercise regularly.

She said it was also to prevent heart diseases and all cardiovascular diseases, and to encourage civil servants to make smart choices now that would pay off the rest of their lifes.

Ms Koontse stated that lack of exercise, a poor diet and other unhealthy habits could take their toll over the years. She said anyone at any age could benefit from simple steps to keep their heart healthy.

She said it was also to reduce sick leaves in the workplace and absenteeism from work. BOPA