EXERCISE & NUTRITION - GRADE 10 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

These are the two main killers of people in the world. Many people in Papua New Guinea die in late 40s and early 50s from diabetes two and heart attacks, caused by diet and lack of exercise.

People of this country must eat nutritious food that includes fruit and vegetables, grains and nuts. These can be bought cheaply in the markets.

Those who eat fatty meat from the market stalls and pig kill mumus may die of heart attacks in middle age when the fat gathers in the heart and coronary arteries and blocks the blood that supplies oxygen to the heart.

Why do so many people in Papua New Guinea, particularly men die at the age of 48-53 years? It is because so many men eat too much fatty food and drink too much beer that is full of sugar.

When food, water and salts pass down our digestive tract, these are absorbed through the wall of the small intestine and pass by the hepatic portal vein to the liver.

But the fat follows a different path from the small intestine. It enters the lymph vessels that travel up to enter the heart at the vena cava which are the main veins into the heart. The fat lodges in the vena cava and heart.

The heart has a vessel called the coronary artery that supplies the heart with oxygenated blood. If a piece of fat lodges in the small coronary artery, there will be a blood clot that blocks the artery. The person suffers a heart attack and may die.

A person who eats too much sugar may suffer from diabetes two that can cause death. There is sugar in soft drink and beer. Some PNG people drink many bottles of soft drink or beer each week and have a high blood sugar level which is the sign of diabetes two.

Then they go to the market and buy large pieces of pig fat. They are on their way to death by diabetes two or heart attack.

In developed countries, there is a Government policy that fat must not be sold. Yet the New Zealand and Australian Governments allow lamb flaps to be sold to PNG people that are often almost 100% fat. 

Polynesian people are fat because of fatty meat and cooking in high fat coconut milk. They are starting to change their dietary habits.

All people must exercise daily to give strength to their muscles, heart and blood pressure. Younger people can play sport, ride bicycles and jog to school. 

Older people may walk for 30 minutes a day. Disabled people must exercise the best way they can.

We should all drink plenty of clean water each day at least 2 x 500 ml drink bottles of water. Water is important for our bodies to function. 

If we do not drink water we suffer from dehydration. This can damage the brain and cause memory loss and mental illness. Families of AIDS sufferers know that too.