I am not a researcher and I have not done any research on this. This is purely my own personal observation and thoughts.
I don’t know if we have researchers in this country or maybe I should say since our researchers are sleeping we will have to do with our observations and [ads1]thoughts until they decide to wake up and provide us with credible scientific research.
Diabetes as a disease/sickness has been on the ascendency in Ghana and I have no idea its origin or how it all started.
But for me I am suspicious of a particular era in the history of our country when it all began.
Back in the late 80s and early 90s, there was a strong wind of charismatic church movement and one major thing they preached against was alcohol intake.
Although the preaching against alcohol intake hasn’t stopped, the early days of the movement saw incessant bashing of people who drank alcohol.
People were described as “worldly” if they are seen emerging from a drinking spot.
If you are seen coming out of a drinking spot you are considered a sinner and a drunkard irrespective of whatever you were there to do.
So many businesses became a source of attack during sermons leading to the indirect collapse of such businesses.
As a matter of fact, I personally blame charismatic church movement for the collapse of the cinema business.
At the time, there were lots of cinema halls dotted all over the country with lots of them in Accra the nation’s capital.
In Koforidua was the popular Reo cinema where I visited there to watch movies during Christmas. Today it is no more.
This cinema business received so much bashing from the charismatic church movement. It was criticized so much that it was considered a sin to visit the cinema hall.
Basically everything human beings did was considered a sin unless you are in church.
The net effect was the collapse of many businesses, loss of jobs, income, taxes, etc and if we are a watchful society who take steps to prevent and remedy situations, we could have avoided this long ago.
If you don’t go to church you are tagged a sinner and a worldly person not good enough to be “yoked” with.
“Do not yoke yourself with unbelievers” easily comes to mind.
Marriages, families and relationship were broken into pieces by the sort of preaching coming in from the charismatic churches.
Even till date it is still happening just that there are more people who are aware now. I think in the year 2000 I also became a victim like many people who continue to suffer today.
It was stated that alcohol consumption was sinful thus, no one could take alcohol
Sugar intake was considered the preferred choice and today, and still out of ignorance, so many people continue to hold unto this belief.
Well, like I said, I have not done any research but this is my thinking.
With the numerous and widespread intake of sugar back in the late 80s and early 90s which has permeated and persisted till today, it is not surprising that diabetes has hit this nation so hard.
The excessive consumption of sugar in the name of being a Christian has brought us here.
And the ones heavily affected are those who were blown by the strong wind of charismatism at the time.
I would say these are the people who were in their 20s to the 30s who found a “new love for Christ”.
Fanta, coke, malt, and all sugar based drinks became their choice not forgetting some of us who are the next generation after who were also caught by the wind.
Today those who were in their late 20s and 30s who took to the consumption of sugar based drinks are primarily the ones suffering from diabetes.
They are the ones in their 50s, 60s and 70s now.
Not only do we have diabetes on the ascendancy, we also have stroke, high blood pressure, hypertension, etc which are all associated diseases.
This is something that our researchers, if they were not sleeping, would have easily confirmed for us so that as a nation we could advice ourselves.
However, in a country where research means nothing for leaders of institutions, we all have to do with our observations and thoughts hoping one day our researchers and leaders wake up.
Until then you have to rely on your own research and advice yourself.
Before I put my pen down I want to add that I have come across so many versus in the Bible which prescribe alcohol intake as a solution.
I have also come across some versus in the Bible which advice us not to take too much alcohol (drunken or becoming a drunkard).
I don’t know why some choose not only to preach against it but to utterly condemn it.
I am however not suggesting that you should start taking alcohol or you should be become a drunkard.
I just want you to know that just as alcohol intake can affect you, sugar intake, research has shown, has debilitating effects.
IML.
