When was the last time you indulged in a sugar-loaded beverage? A recent study from Australia has issued an urgent plea to the government to address the issue of beverages overloaded with sugar, attributing it as a contributing factor to the nation’s diabetes and obesity crisis. Interestingly, while Australians consume 1.3 times the advised daily sugar intake, Fijians in the Central Division consume a staggering three times the recommended amount on average. Half of this sugar intake comes from sweetened drinks, such as chocolates and tea.
While sugar isn’t the direct cause of diabetes, a high consumption of sugar-packed drinks can lead to weight gain, thereby increasing the odds of developing diabetes or complicating the condition for those already suffering from it. About one-third of Fijians have type 2 diabetes, making Fiji the global leader for early mortality from diabetes-linked complications. Frighteningly, in Fiji’s strained health system, there is a daily average of three limb amputations due to diabetes. Many of these victims don’t even know they have the disease until they get to the hospital with an infection.
This diabetes and obesity crisis, alongside other nutrition-related diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease, has reduced the current life expectancy in Fiji to a depressing 67-69 years. This figure is more than ten years lower than the average Australian life expectancy, aside from Indigenous Australians who also suffer from high diabetes rates and a lower life expectancy. Despite introducing a sugar sweetened beverage tax in 2018, Fiji doesn’t have enough data to confirm its effectiveness.
There are many hurdles to implementing nutritional change, both in Australia and Fiji. This realization inspired us to pen Sugar, a murder mystery novel that delves into Fiji’s historical, cultural, and financial relationship with sugar. As co-authors, we were captivated by the intricate layers of significance that sugar holds, right from the nation’s colonial past to its current diabetes crisis disproportionately affecting Fiji’s most impoverished population.
Sugar is a result of extensive ethnographic research and lived experience. It explores weighty themes related to sugar and its consequences in Fiji through a page-turning murder mystery, offering a stark representation of daily life in Suva, the capital of Fiji.
Our book delves into Australia’s role in perpetuating these health disparities among the Fijian population, from exploiting Indian indentured laborers in the sugarcane plantations in the early 20th century to more recent endeavours such as pushing for trade agreements enabling Australian farmers and businesses to capitalize on Pacific markets. It also takes a critical look at “voluntourism,” where young Australians volunteer in Fiji, often reinforcing power imbalances and providing little long-term benefit to the community.
Sugar is published worldwide by UTP and can be found at the Fiji Museum Sitoa. Its launch, hosted by Ginger Kitchen, took place on the Fiji Museum Verandah at 5.30 pm on Thursday, July 4th. Raising a critical overview of the unseen yet pervasive issue of sugar related health disparities in Fiji, the book serves as a timely reminder to examine our consumption habits.