Overweight and Prevention

Overweight and Prevention

May 8, 2026

Yesterday I did not write. I was traveling, but that was not the reason. I notice that many people are finally speaking out about the uncontrolled construction boom linked to investments, especially in tourism, and the consequences for young people and low-income families. Education and youth issues are also receiving more attention. That matters. I only hope this attention does not disappear once the public debate moves on.

In a month, the 2026 World Cup will begin. According to reports, there is already turmoil around the national selection. That is usually not a good sign. Then again, the YdK has often shown an unusual ability to perform brilliantly in chaos — a kind of genius anarchy.

But there is one issue almost nobody truly wants to discuss: our health.

For decades, studies have shown that we are an unhealthy population. That is not only because of aging or poverty, although those factors certainly play a role. Look at the photos from the opening of the new National Laboratory building. How many people without being overweight did you see there? We have known for years that we are facing an epidemic. Perhaps we should even call it a pandemic.

Around 29% of adults on Curaçao are obese. If we include overweight in general, the number rises to roughly 65% of the population. In other words, being overweight has become more common than being of a healthy weight.

Yet we hardly talk about it.

Maybe because it is uncomfortable. It may be because it touches culture, habits, and economics. Or perhaps because prevention is politically less visible than concrete, buildings, and major projects.

But a society is not truly developed simply because it builds more hotels, roads, or offices. Development is also about the health of its people. An island where more and more citizens struggle with diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and obesity will eventually pay a very high social and economic price.

Prevention should therefore become a national priority. Not only within healthcare, but also in education, urban planning, sports policy, and food policy. Because health does not begin in the hospital. It begins in neighborhoods, schools, homes, and supermarkets.

When are we finally going to talk seriously about that?

Miguel Goede