Regaining health

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Ph.D., R.D.

Being overweight often leads to illness. In Hawai'i, Native Hawaiians have the most overweight and severely overweight people. Being overweight increases the chance to develop high blood pressure, stroke, heart trouble, diabetes, cancer, gout, joint problems (in hips, legs and feet) and other health problems. And when obesity and illness begin in childhood, complications from chronic illnesses occur earlier. Health professionals are very concerned about the link between chronic illnesses and early death.

A most troubling fact is that many Native Hawaiian keiki are too heavy, even severely overweight. These keiki experience illnesses that, until recently, were considered problems of old age. Rates of being overweight, diabetes and high blood pressure in Hawaiian children are higher than previously seen. These health conditions rob our keiki of many pleasures of childhood that we enjoyed. Even more worrisome is the knowledge that chronic illnesses will shorten the lives of our keiki. It is unacceptable for us to do nothing. Health experts agree that childhood obesity is the greatest challenge to the health of our keiki and mo'opuna. It is our kuleana to keep keiki healthy and physically fit.

Obesity was not a health issue for Native Hawaiians prior to the 19th century. As a matter of fact, captains of the first sailing ships to arrive in Hawai'i left numerous written descriptions disclosing their admiration of the lean and muscular Hawaiian physique. Captain Portlock described the people he saw in Wai'alae, O'ahu, as amiable and hardworking. While on O'ahu, Portlock met Maui's Chief Kahekili and recorded his impressions of Kahekili's physique and regal appearance. Portlock guessed that Kahekili was about 50 years old at the time, but Kamakau reported Kahekili was well into his 80s at this encounter. In 1787, Captain Meares took Ka'iana to Canton, China. The Chinese so admired Ka'iana's majestic appearance that they showered Ka'iana with gifts to bring back to Hawai'i. In another account, Captain Vancouver admired the imposing stature of the ali'i wahine Kānekapōlei, wife of Kalani'ōpu'u. Vancouver asked the chief's permission to compare his own height to that of the tall, stately Kānekapōlei. Alas, Vancouver stood only mid-chest to Kānekapōlei.

Since the 1800s, huge lifestyle changes have caused Hawaiians to lose their robust stature. Old Hawaiians spent long hours doing physically challenging work as farmers, fishermen, builders and hunters that was fueled by a steady diet of kalo, vegetables and fish. Hawaiian life now provides sedentary jobs, more leisure time (sitting, watching TV, talking story), and a lot of fat-laden and sugary food. The answer to regaining health is a matter of balance … balancing the calorie intake with the calories used, or energy output, by the body. Food efforts must focus on avoiding fatty foods (including fatty fast food), eating slightly smaller portions, and drinking little or no soda, sweetened or alcoholic drinks while adding physical activity daily. And, it is absolutely crucial to add vegetables back (especially dark green and orange ones) into the Hawaiian family's diet in order to boost immune systems to fight off chronic illnesses.

Managing the family food is the kuleana of mākua and kūpuna. Remember that fats and oils are the most fattening of nutrients and that much of dietary fat is potentially harmful to health. Fats and oils yield double the calories found in protein and carbohydrates. Choose low-fat or zero-fat food options … or, if you can, skip it. Fried foods, especially commercially fried foods, can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and weight gain in keiki and makua. To avoid tooth decay and useless calories, cut out sweets and sweetened drinks and add water and low-fat or nonfat milk. To avoid useless calories, control the number of desserts, candy and pastries per week. These items have no nutritional value except for too much fat and sugar. Let us work to regain the health and strength of our ancestors. We owe it to our keiki.