By Ngwayi Carlos and Bakah Derick
The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) in collaboration with thr ministry of public health has organised a one day workshop to raise awareness on Trans-Fatty Acids(TFA) which the institution describes as "a silent killer in our foods," responsible for half a million deaths annually in the world.
Representing the Director of the CBC Health Services, Wango Barnabas, the Public Relations Officer of the CBC Health Services thanked all journalists present. He commended them for the work they have been doing in their respective media houses especially in promoting the Health of Cameroonians through their educative and informative programs, articles and posts. He called on them to put hands on deck to eliminate trans fatty acids in Cameroon's food production chain.
The Moderator of the workshop Abanda Alphonse, Administrator of the grants Department of the CBC Health Services contextualized the training working by explaining that food is good for the body and every human being needs food to survive but the manner in which the food is consumed matters because they contain a Trans-fatty acids which are deadly. He went on to mention foods like; bakery products, all kinds of fatty foods and vegetables oil as major containers of trans-fatty acids.
Corroborating the center administrator, Dr Epie Njume, General Supervisor of the Non Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program elaborated that fats have no known health benefits, "Trans fats containing foods are the worst type of food you can consume because they have no known nutritional benefits." He said
He went on to reveal that the "high intake of trans-fats increases the risk of death from any cause by 34% and from coronary heart disease by 28%. All these plus the industrial trans fats ( ITFA ) formed through an industrial process which adds hydrogen to vegetable oil are major contributors to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and stroke worldwide, estimated to cause around 540.000 deaths every year.
Talking www.hilltopvoices.com, ,Dr.Epie Njume challenged the Cameroonian public to reduce the high rate of fatty foods consumption, practice the habits of consuming local food and abstain from consuming expensive food, especially industrially imported food, all these for a healthy living.