EFE English news | EFE, Latest News & Live Updates in English | English News (Latest English News) at Lokmattimes.com

Eve Crowley, who is in Montevideo to present a book commemorating FAO's 68 years in Uruguay, described the current situation in the region in an interview with EFE on Saturday."(Hunger) is a really worrying trend because, after undernourishment and hunger had declined for decades in that region and around the world, we're now seeing an increase," she said. "In the Latin American and the Caribbean region there are now 39 million people suffering from hunger."On the other end of the spectrum levels of obesity and overweight also are elevated in the region and ascend to as high as 65 per cent of the population in Uruguay, compared to 60 per cent for the region as a whole."We have a target of ... eradicating malnutrition in all of its forms, and currently one of its expressions is that in many countries there's a combination of simultaneous problems - not only in the country, (but) at times in the home and at times in the same person," she said, noting that undernourishment occasionally goes hand in hand with overweight and obesity and micronutrient deficiency.Regarding the high level of meat consumption in the region, although the FAO promotes and recognizes the importance of that food group, the expert expressed concern that animal protein is being consumed in excess at the expense of fruit and vegetables."The use of antibiotics in the production chain of meat and fish is a very big source of concern for the FAO, Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health because we know that in 2050 antimicrobial resistance will be the biggest cause of death in the world, ahead of cancer and noncommunicable diseases," Crowley added.She said it is very important for governments to levy taxes on unhealthy foods and to incentivize the consumption of fruits, vegetables and fish, as well as to promote family farming and educational campaigns such as the latest nutritional guide released by Uruguay's Health Ministry."If governments don't take action now, they're going to pay with (heavy burdens on) their public health systems, something that's already happening with the spending of millions of dollars to alleviate noncommunicable diseases," Crowley said.( With inputs from IANS )

EfeFOLLOW

Efe, Latest News

The French resort town of Biarritz on the Bay of Biscay has been put under a security lockdown ahead of the G7 Summit slated to begin on Saturday. ...

Russia has launched the world's only floating nuclear power plant, built to withstand tsunamis and crashes with icebergs, despite criticism by environmentalists who consider it a time bomb comparable to the Chernobyl nuclear station. ...

Four people, including two children, died on Thursday and more than 100 were injured by lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in southern Poland's Tatra mountains, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki traveled there to provide support to th ...

An organic winery perched on a hill surrounded by holm oaks and olive trees in Israell's biblical region of Galilee produces innovative wines whilst spiritual Indian music play which allegedly improves the quality. ...

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday said she was willing to create a platform for dialogue, but will not sanction an independent investigation into police actions during the political crisis that has rocked the city for almost three month ...

Bangladesh said on Monday it would be ready to start the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar on 22 August, nearly two years after members of the Muslim minority fled violence in the western state of Rakhine in light of a military crackdown. ...

A Malaysian court on Monday postponed a trial against former Prime Minister Najib Razak for his alleged role in the embezzlement of billions in public funds that contributed to his shocking election defeat last year. ...

An increase in the number of people suffering from hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean, now totaling 39 million, is a cause of concern for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to its deputy representative for th ...