Harry Fritz, Palau’s Minister for Resource, Development and Tourism, who represented the president in the recently concluded 13th Micronesian Chief Executives’ Summit on Saipan, said the changing lifestyle of Palauans make them more dependent on imported goods from the United States, Japan and Korea.
He said this makes many residents obese and eventually develop diabetes, a noncommunicable disease which can cause complications such as high blood pressure, kidney failure and heart disease, among other ailments.
“Palau no longer has the same lifestyle as we had before when we fished and planted our food. Now we all rely on the convenience of food from abroad, especially from the U.S., Japan and Korea,” the visiting Palau official said.
He said the situation prompted the president to strongly urge the people to eat more vegetables.
“He (Toribiong) declared the green revolution. We need to plant our own food starting next month,” Fritz said.
Toribiong and Fritz are both members of the Seventh-Day-Adventist Church which advocates eating healthy food.
Fritz said they also don’t eat pork.
“We don’t smoke. We don’t drink…much,” he added.
Palau is home to about 20,000 people, 30 percent of whom are foreigners.
