The Association of Nigerian Dietitians has urged mothers to prepare their own foods with necessary ingredients for their families to ensure healthy living.

President of the association, Prof. Elizabeth Ngwu, gave the advice while speaking on the 2019 World Diabetes Day on Thursday in Enugu.

Ngwu expressed worry that present day mothers no longer cooked for their families rather they preferred processed foods to natural food.

“Unfortunately, many young women don’t have time to cook food; young mothers should learn to prepare foods for their families.

“It is not good for our children and that is why they develop all kinds of illness including diabetes. We should enrich our food with vegetables and fruits as well as grow our own gardens where we plant vegetables.

“Diabetes is a risk factor for kidney and liver failure,’’ she said.

She noted that confusion created by unregulated dietary information over the internet had necessitated the provision of evidence-based dietary information by Dietitians.

She said that Dietitian were recognized globally as Food and Nutrition professionals to protect the health of citizens.

In her welcome address, Dr Gloria Okafor, the chairperson of the Dietitian, Enugu State Chapter, said that the association had been sensitising the general public on how people with diabetics could live a healthy life and how they could reduce the scourge.

“Diabetics is a public health problem affecting millions of Nigerians and we have been sensitising the public on how to manage and prevent it,” she said.

Mrs Justina Olebu, the Vice-Chairperson of the association said that the theme for the 2019 World Diabetes Day ‘Family and Diabetes’ showed that many families all over had one or two people living with diabetes.

Olebu advised Nigerians to eat properly by consuming natural food than processed food prepared outside the homes.

She urged the public to carry out body exercise, eat well balanced meals with vegetable, adding that going for medical screening, checking for their sugar blood level were necessary.

Rev. Sister Mary Odinaka of the Mother of Christ Hospital, Enugu said that only 160 people turned out for the free medical diabetes screening conducted in the hospital.

Odinaka called on Nigerians not to over look medical screening, adding that it helped one to know his or her health status.

Mr Emma Ofor, one of the participants, who came for the free screening commended the association for screening the general public freely, saying it would have caused him much if it were to be in a hospital.

Source:  NAN