WOMEN in Fiji have moved away from taking care of their wellbeing.
This was revealed by the technical facilitator of Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program Doctor Margaret Cornelius during the Empowering Women to Wellness Summit at Suva's Studio 6 Apartments yesterday.
Dr Cornelius said women nowadays were waiting to get sick and then visit the hospital for treatment.
"We are looking at the wrong direction and moving away from wellbeing," she said.
Dr Cornelius said in Fiji, one in five adults over the age of 25 suffered from hypertension, one in six from diabetes and die at the age of 40-59 years.
"We do not live long enough to enjoy our pension and to see our grandsons and granddaughters," she said.
She said women were more into processed foods and takeaways.
"We need to change our behaviour towards being well. Reducing the issues of non-communicable diseases will not happen in one day," she said.
She said women needed to live a healthy life and go back to the good old days of eating traditional foods such as dalo, cassava and dhal. Women of today were more into alcohol and cigarettes.
"These things affect a pregnant woman. It gives rise to complications and affects the life of a newborn. The deaths of babies now are a result of mothers being careless," she said.
She said it was important that children received proper care from their parents.