In 2023 in French Polynesia, 45,000 people were identified diabetics by the Health Department. The prevalence of diabetes treated with drugs was estimated at 22% in the population between 20 and 79 years old, against only 5.6% in France. Despite a certain awareness, the observation remains alarming with 3,000 new cases of diabetes diagnosed each year.
Fast food, junk food, sedentary lifestyle, an insidious cocktail which for decades has poisoned Polynesians. According to the CPS activity report, C‘It is after 50 to 60 years that pathologies such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases are manifested. To avoid getting there, Marania and Clara have had a click: for more than 2 months, it is in the gym that they have started their day on an empty stomach. “With the weight that I accumulated all these years, I lost mobility. And therefore going on a trip, that kind of thing that I love so much, becomes a little more limited with the current weight”regret Marania Levy. “I have pain in my knees, almost everywhere in the body and it is not easy to clean up when you are overweight too”deplores for his part Clara teams.
According to CPS figures, en Polynesia almost 1 in 6 people is declared in long illness or almost 17 % of the population. And uMost of these patients suffer from diabetes. Which costs billions a year to the CPS.
A figure difficult to lower. “It is the food transition that went wrong in the 1970s. There was not enough subsistence food: you had to fish, hunt, pick, [par rapport] When feeding a pension: go to the store get prepared dishes and we no longer cook “, Explain the DOffice Boissin, diabetologist.
Marania and Clara have already lost almost 10 kg. Both have found vitality, energy and good humor. They aspire Today to eat better. “It was difficult for me to find food that corresponds precisely to the exercises that I have to do and which are more healthy (good for health) “, specifies Marania.”Everything is in food too. We have a coach who sends us messages, during the day I receive 10, to remind me that we should not eat this or that thing “adds Clara.
Their secret coach is Teava who also started her transformation 2 years ago. From 149 it went to 93 kg! Today he has managed to motivate a whole group of women. “Seeing them I saw myself when I started. They are struggling, I saw a lot who had trouble doing 5 to 10 m without being short of breath, suddenly by instinct I told myself that I had to help my neighbor”note Atger pipe.
For him, the change started first in the kitchen. “Most of the processed products, I stopped. However, unprocessed products, I started to consume them more. Then get used to getting healthy, I want to say good habits. [ Aujourd’hui qu’est-ce qui n’existe plus dans ta cuisine qui avant, existait ?] I think like most Polynesians: mayonnaise, oyster sauce, mustard, ketchup in high doses of sugar, [des choses] very fat or sweet! “admits, laughing Teava.
Despite all awareness campaigns, the prevalence of diabetes treated with drugs has reached 22% today (Infog4). According to Doctor Boissin, we will have to put the double bites on early screening. “As it is a disease that does not hurt, so you have to get it before it happens, and therefore the best way is in companies. (Administrative public establishment for prevention), We had 5 million budgets. So we could go to businesses, town halls, establishments, do prevention “, recalls the DBoissin core.
Fighting diabetes remains a vital challenge that Polynesia must take up. For the moment, the only concrete measure in 2025 was the increase in 16% VAT on sweet products subject to the Consumer Tax for Prevention (TCP).
