Cutting talks about islands’ obesity problem at Rotary

Latte Built Fitness & Nutrition owner and certified personal trainer and nutritionist Derek Cutting during his presentation at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at Hyatt Regency Saipan last Tuesday. (Erwin Encinares)

Latte Built Fitness & Nutrition owner and certified personal trainer and nutritionist Derek Cutting talked about childhood obesity and the health of the islands during the Rotary Club of Saipan’s weekly meeting last Sept. 13 at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.

Cutting touched on topics that are visually evident in the CNMI, including its No. 1 health concern—obesity.

“An issue that I really see here on the island is the lack of knowledge [of nutrition]. Kids learn from what the parent puts in their plate, they don’t really know anything different. It’s not the child’s fault, but the parents don’t have the knowledge either to understand that they’re the ones causing it,” explained Cutting.

Cutting said to prevent obesity at such a young age parents need to control the nutrients that they are feeding to their children. “It all comes down to the food they give their children and the options they let their children choose.”

When asked about whether the consumption of rice has anything to do with the CNMI’s high obesity rates, Cutting responded that although it is true that rice consumption is a bit too much, it isn’t particularly the case. “No, not so much on the rice. Rice is not evil. Yeah, we eat a little too much here, it’s in every single meal, but it’s more the sugar and the pasta,” he said.

Cutting shared that ever since the hardships of World War II, the people of Saipan have grown accustomed to eating canned food, even making recipes out of it.

“Coming from post World War II, when the U.S. came in, a lot of the stuff was left here. Like the SPAM, Portuguese sausage, Vienna sausage, and all that stuff, and that was all they were able to eat for a few years because of the war,” said Cutting. “There was no such thing as farmer’s market or being able to go to Joeten for fresh ground beef. It was all canned food. That generation got used to that because it was easy and they liked it, and they even created local dishes out of a lot of it. And what happened is that it became part of a family’s meal. Now, the children are learning the same thing. “

When asked if portion sizes contributed to the amount of obese people on island today, Cutting replied that while portioning does play a role, it is usually the frequency of a meal that contributes to the various reactions of the body.

“I have seen people though that come to me and tried to lose weight and actually trying to do better. They wrap their mind around their problem that they want to fix. A lot of times, they are not eating enough. So it is not an issue of overstuffing themselves constantly, but it’s that they are trying to starve themselves,” explained Cutting. “When that one meal comes where they have to eat, that’s when they devour a giant meal. If you are able to break it down to smaller meals, spread it out into pebbles and make it work efficiently, it’ll be a lot different as far as to how your body reacts to the food.”

Big changes have been improving the islands’ obesity rate little by little, according to Cutting. Along with Latte Built, Cutting is happy that others are stepping up to try and address this health issue.

“I’ve seen a big change already for the past year and a half that I have been here, well most of the stuff I have been working on, but as far as other health professionals here on the island. We have Gold’s [Gym] we have Get Fit, even Public Health, just putting out information [is helpful],” he said.

Cutting thinks that weight loss and fitness is most beneficial when accompanied with a goal or a reward once a certain goal has been reached.

“TanHoldings for example, they are doing a public relations body fat challenge. I’m the coach, and I have to explain that. I get to teach people and now they have a chance to win something. Now they want to actually participate. When you just constantly bark at them, tell them that that is wrong, this is wrong, they’re not going to listen, they’re not going to hear it, they’re not going to show up,” said Cutting. “But a challenge, a chance to actually win something and some fun involved, then they have a reason to be there, at the same time they’re learning. So that is a good way for me to speak to a hundred plus people at one time.”

Latte Built, located at San Jose, is a functional fitness and nutrition center, with a 24-hour gym and multiple classes to join.