Sight and Life Visits Pohnpei for Filming about Nutrition

By Dr. Lois Englberger

Sight and Life, a humanitarian initiative of the DSM Nutritional Products Ltd. based in Switzerland, has just visited Pohnpei from 10-27 April, 2006, to film a documentary about the nutrition problems in Micronesia and efforts underway for alleviating these problems. Their visit was coordinated by the Island Food Community of Pohnpei.

Dr. Klaus Kraemer, head of Sight and Life, and Mr. Thomas Breisach, deputy head of the DSM Nutritional Products communications section, made up the DSM Nutritional Products team. They were in Pohnpei from 21-27 April, 2006. Ulla Lohmann, filmmaker, and her camera assistant Markus Hain, engaged as consultants, were in Pohnpei from 10-27 April, 2006.

The purpose of the film is to develop a documentary about global nutrition problems, including micronutrient deficiencies and nutrition- and lifestyle-related chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Dr. Kraemer pointed out that Pohnpei is an example of a country having the double burden of malnutrition, the problem of micronutrient deficiency such as vitamin A deficiency, and the problem of overweight and chronic diseases. He said, "No one would expect that on an island in the Pacific that there are the nutrition problems of both the developing and industrialized countries."

Over half of Pohnpei children have vitamin A deficiency, a disorder leading to increased infection and mortality. Coupled with this, there are serious problems of obesity and chronic diseases in Pohnpei, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, leading to higher rates of mortality and great suffering among families and individuals.

The group filmed the beauty spots of Pohnpei, including the lush Pohnpei landscape, historical site of Nan Madol, water scenes, and cultural events, first portraying aspects of the paradise concept that many people in other parts of the world have about life on a Pacific island.

The team then filmed aspects of the real-life situation relating to food, nutrition and health, and efforts to improve the nutritional problems. These included the Pilot Farm in Madolenihmw led by Pohnpei Agriculture of the Economic Affairs, the Mand Traditional Foods for Health project and Planting and Weight Loss Competition led by IFCP, Mr. Sei Uemoto and his plans to develop increased marketing of Karat banana and other local foods, the Youth to Youth project with Class 4 of Mand Elementary School, Pohnpei Library Week along their theme of "GO LOCAL" and the vitamin A supplementation program led by the Pohnpei Department of Health.

Sight and Life has provided on-going assistance for many years to the Federated States of Micronesia, including: research on the nutrient content of local island foods, and vitamin A awareness materials, such as posters and the recent video titled GOING YELLOW, which has often been shown on Channel 6 local television. This was prepared last year 2005, as a project initiated and supported by Sight and Life, in conjunction with the Island Food Community of Pohnpei and produced by Micronesian Seminar.

Adelino Lorens, Chairman of IFCP and Pohnpei Chief of Agriculture, warmly welcomed the team to Pohnpei, during a special luncheon held for the team along with IFCP board members on Wednesday 26 April, 2006, at the Pohnpei Agriculture office in the Botanical Garden. He thanked the Sight and Life team, on behalf of IFCP and all its partner agencies.

Thanks are extended to the agencies providing assistance to the Sight and Life visit including the Pacific German Regional Forestry Project, for providing transport.