EDITORIAL: Your health is your responsibility

Take care with health choices

 

Each person is blessed with only one body and if it is damaged irreparably it will mean the end of one’s life. Therefore it baffles the mind why so many people take such poor care of their health. More to the point, Barbadians need to be more responsible, not only in their lifestyle choices, but also in the healthcare choices they make. 
 
Already there has been much noted on the importance of eating healthy foods and getting adequate exercise. This has seen, amongst other things, the development of the National Commission for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs) and the National Task Force on Physical Activity, which were designed to inform the public and give them opportunities to put health plans into action, respectively. 
 
Yet, even with these developments and with the best of intentions people are still able to make poor health choices by purchasing products or services which may appear to enhance one’s appearance and overall health, but which may do their bodies harm instead. Admittedly, these products or services may be advertised locally or internationally and may appear legitimate, but in actuality would not work as advertised. In a lot of cases, the individual or business behind the products or services is not licensed to operate as a healthcare provider.
 
The onus is therefore on you, the public, to make informed decisions about what you purchase. Products bought online should be researched thoroughly. The manufacturers should be identified, along with the ingredients in the product and reviews should be obtained from previous customers and review boards if possible. You should also ask your doctor before taking any medication or supplement.
 
Where the product (or service) is made or provided locally, similar investigations should be done. In addition, any local product should still have the correct labelling. Many people believe that because you have a small setup that it is acceptable to save costs on packaging by avoiding labels, but this is far from the case.
 
Furthermore, the person or place of business selling the product or service should have the relevant certification from the Ministry of Health and, where applicable, from their institution of learning, which must be displayed for all to see. You should never allow yourself to fall prey to bogus salespeople who are not equipped to advise you on your health.
 
An obvious indication of a product or service that you should avoid is one that is not advertised. If you can only hear about it on social media or by word-of-mouth, or if the person in charge is operating under the guise of another business or even from their own home, for instance, then you would be wise not to place your health in their hands.
 
It would also make life easier for everyone if individuals would step forward and highlight any knowledge of people or businesses operating under the radar to the Ministry of Health, which would make investigations into claims and ensure that only legit healthcare providers operate in this country. Your actions could save someone else’s life.  

Barbados Advocate

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