Colonial disease legacy

DR. A. OBHOLZER WRITES:Colonialism was about trade/barter exchange, of natural and human resources (slavery).After liberation, in the second half of the twentieth century, Africa was left with a disease hangover.The tools of trade involved tobacco, alcohol and sugar. All three are addictive. Fair exchange was not possible with addicts. Resources and land were signed away.Today tobacco and alcohol are heavily taxed, with warnings. However, the number one addiction worldwide, sugar, the cheap cocaine of the masses, is not taxed in Namibia. The rationale being that sugar addicts will resent tax as unfair punishment. They won’t vote for the party that taxes their addiction.But health is apolitical.Sugar addiction leads to massive collateral health damage. It stimulates hunger with insulin, in three hourly cycles. The end result is hungry, thirsty obesity, the metabolic syndrome, storm with diabetes, hypertension and multi-organ target disease, due to vascular inflammation.The cost of disease is: •Decreased productivity/output (loss)• Expensive medical treatment (loss)This condition is reversible. Switch from high carb, low fat (USA Diet) to low carb, high health fat diet, with no hunger. Aim to see your toes and a longer, better, healthier future.The Covid-19 (Corona) pandemic has exposed obesity and diabetes with poor immunity as the major cause of co-morbidity worldwide.The USA, with four percent of the world population, recorded 20 percent of Covid deaths due to herd obesity (two thirds) caused by fake, fast, junk food choices. The battle involves:• Hand, touch hygiene• Masks• Social distancing and un-crowding• Vaccination – short term due to variants?• The LCHF or banting diet is a long term lifestyle investment habitSugar and carbs are not essential nutrients (post agriculture and industrial revolution). Proteins and fats are the only two basic essential nutrients, based on species and specific, evolutionary nutritional science.Inform, warn, tax (sin, disincentive and damage) sugar and refined processed carbohydrates. Label foods accordingly. You can’t serve God (truth) and Mammon (money / turnover). Choose truth over power ($) on earth.Promotion, prevention, screening is common sense, and cheaper than trying to treat/control reversible bad habits. This Primary Health Care is supposed to be the policy of the Ministry of Health and Social Services since 21 March 1990.Exempt selected real, unprocessed dense foods (the best medicine) from VAT, and finance this with a cross subsidy from sugar tax. A win win scenario!If mind and body both keep moving, we will live longer and better lives.

Colonial disease legacy

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Republikein 2026-08-05

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Colonial disease legacy

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Republikein 2026-08-05

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