Tufton urges churches to help curb lifestyle diseases

Admonishing faith-based institutions to do more for the health and wellness of their congregations, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says that Jamaica's alarmingly high level of lifestyle diseases and deaths can only be reduced with greater stakeholder participation in the promotion and practice of preventative health care.

Speaking at the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists-organised Health Symposium yesterday, Tufton used the podium of the Half-Way Tree Seventh-day Adventist Church to commend the denomination for demonstrating that they not only cater to the soul, but also to the body and mind, through health and wellness initiatives.

"It is not sufficient for the Church to carry out its duty to preach redemption for the life after and ignore its responsibility to encourage self-preservation for the life here on earth, and too many church leaders in Jamaica are doing just that and leaving it in 'God's hands', which could inadvertently de-emphasise individual responsibility," said Tufton.

He further went on to state: "That is why I admire the Seventh-day Adventist Church for their proactive stance in encouraging health and wellness as part of their faith-based holistic experience. This places them well ahead of other faith-based institutions that oftentimes focuses only on redemption and too little or none at all on self preservation through health and wellness messaging and programmes. In this regard, I am prepared to say the Church is failing its congregation in that aspect of its mandate."

EMPHASISE MESSAGE

Tufton quoted two scriptures from the Bible to support his claim, John 3:2, which says, 'Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth' and I Corinthians 10:31, which says, 'Whether, therefore, ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.'

The interpretation of these scriptures, according to Tufton, "suggests that the God we serve is as much concerned about health and well-being as he is about our soul".

He, therefore, implored church leaders to "emphasise that message as now more than ever, lifestyle diseases require it".

The minister went on to say that seven out of every 10 deaths in Jamaica are as a consequence of individuals not doing their regular health checks and not leading healthy lifestyles, which include physical activity and healthy eating.

"This is what Jamaica Moves seeks to encourage. Jamaicans need to take greater responsibility for their personal health, and at the same time the Church, which represents a large and powerful social institution, needs to encourage more messages related to this in their sermons."