Torres’ road to healthy habits: Taking the first step

Author’s note: The Saipan Tribune will follow Lt. Gov. Ralph Torres in his journey to a healthier lifestyle in its newest biweekly series.

It’s a new year’s resolution many make but seldom keep: living a healthier lifestyle. Acting governor Ralph Torres plans to break that with a project he’s calling his “road to healthy habits.” Torres is taking on the challenge to improve his every day habits and reduce his health risks, and wants the people of the CNMI to join him in his journey.

Torres has enlisted the help of Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. public health planner Kaitlyn Neises, who told Saipan Tribune that Torres’ focus will be on learning how to make healthy choices a part of everyday living on the islands.

Torres said he will begin his journey in January, immediately after the holiday season. The Division of Public Health, NMC-CREES, and the Lets’ Move Marianas Alliance will work with him and broadcast biweekly half-hour episodes featuring his progress in establishing long-term healthy habits.

“Everything about this challenge is going to be hard,” he said. “Sometimes I go to as many as four to five social gatherings a day and that affects my diet”—a diet that he said has caused him to become overweight ever since he was a child, since eating processed meat is part of the culture.

“I want to live longer and help promote a culture where people learn how to eat in portions,” he said

Torres recognizes that many people buy canned food because of its affordability, but it is also high in sodium. He urges the community to take the first step with him in creating a plan that curtails the intake of those products.

“My entire family will be a part of this and we will cook better and healthier food at home. They will really be my support system in everything I do,” he added.

CNMI residents will get an in-depth look at Torres’ journey through social media, where the episodes will be published starting in January throughout February.

They first episode will establish the acting governor’s baselines and goals, followed by discussion ranging from making time for physical activity to eating at family gatherings.

The episodes will be shot by NMC students under the Youth Empowerment Alliance for Health, which will be hosted by one of its members, along with Chailang Palacios.

The series is expected to include special guests, such as local farmers, fishermen, and dietitians.

With the House of Representatives passing a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks last weekend, Torres said that creating a healthier Commonwealth involves both policy and lifestyle changes.

Torres’ journey comes at a time when 30 percent of children in the CNMI are overweight and obese. By making his journey public, Torres hopes to reduce the grim statistics substantially.