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* Sweden and Taiwan Are Showing the World a Sustainable Way to Fearlessly Live with the Coronavirus4
http://www.hsvg.org/ Guahan Global Foundation
Guahan Global Foundation P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA
(February 13, 2026) Guam’s obesity prevalence is over 40% The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released the nation’s latest Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps. Guam’s adult obesity prevalence is over 40% on the map. There are only 3 states or territories with 40% or higher adult obesity rates. The CDC has released the map every year since 2012. When the CDC released 2023 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps for 48 states, the District of Columbia, and 3 territories in September 2024, Guam’s adult obesity rate has been above 35% for the first time. On the 2024 map released in December 2025, Guam’s adult obesity prevalence is 40.2%. On the 2023 map, Michigan, Puerto Rico, and Mississippi’s adult obesity rates were 35.4%, 36%, and 40.1%, respectively. Although their 2024 numbers also went up, Michigan’s rate for 2024 is 36.1%, Puerto Rico is 36.2%, and Mississippi is 40.4% while Guam’s adult obesity rate jumps significantly from 2023’s 35.4% to 2024’s 40.2%. Hawaii’s adult obesity prevalence has also kept increasing year by year, but its 2022 number was 25.9%, 2023 was 26.1%, and the latest 2024 is only 27%. Some states with a high obesity rate actually reversed the trend. Alaska’s number on the 2023 map was 35.2% and drops to 34% on the 2024 one. New Mexico’s rate drops to 34.5% on the 2024 map from 2023’s 35.3%. Also, in Missouri, 2023’s 35.3% drops to 2024’s 34.6%. In Illinois, 2023’s 36% drops to 2024’s 34.2%. So, it is possible to reverse the population’s obesity trend. Guam needs to encourage more people in the community to watch their body weight. The increasing prevalence of obesity is highly associated with the risk for developing diabetes, which is another Guam’s prevalent health issue. In addition, the American Heart Association (AHA) warns that the rate of deaths from ischemic heart disease related to obesity nearly tripled in the U.S. over a two-decade span. The AHA explains that ischemic heart disease occurs when narrowed arteries reduce the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. This can lead to a heart attack. Obesity is a serious risk factor for ischemic heart disease, and this risk is going up at an alarming rate along with the increasing prevalence of obesity. While the AHA is commemorating American Heart Month now in February, they also remind that body weight is a powerful signal of how the body’s most important systems are working together. Maintaining a healthy body weight supports the cardiovascular system, kidney and metabolim,  which is the way the body creates, stores and uses energy. When body weight is within a healthier range, the body manages blood sugar more easily, the heart works better, and the kidneys filter more effectively. Together, this is called cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health. It happened that the Federal government released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 last month. According to its press release, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is confident that the new guidance will dramatically lower chronic disease for Americans. For example, the U.S. faces the highest obesity and type 2 diabetes rates in the developed world. One-third of teens in the U.S. suffer from pre-diabetes. 20% of children and adolescents have obesity, and 18.5% of young adults have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The HHS’ press release emphasized the new dietary guidelines are evangelizing real food. “The guidance provides possibilities across all recommendations. For example, in proteins, options such as chicken, pork, beans, and legumes; a larger variety of dairy products, at all price points, including whole milk and full-fat dairy products; fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables, from beets to strawberries, carrots to apples; and whole grains. Paired with a reduction in highly processed foods laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives.” HHS said. Our foundation welcomes the new dietary guidelines highlighting real food and prioritizing whole grains, healthy fats, high-quality protein, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables. We also commend the emphasis on avoiding highly processed foods and added sugar. We look forward to seeing the new dietary guidelines and the related policies really promote people’s healthier eating and provide school children, senior citizens, military members and our veterans with healthier meals to subsequently help reduce the prevalence of obesity and chronic disease. Speaking of promoting a real food framework in Guam, our island community obviously must work harder to secure the stability of the imported fresh food’s shipment as well as the locally produced food’s supply to help people's access to real food. That is why our foundation appreciates the hard work of the Port authority of Guam, the shipping companies, and all related organizations. We also admire the continuous efforts made by many local organizations to strengthen our island’s food resiliency. We therefore want to remind our island community that Guahan Sustainable Culture is trying the pilot “Southside Sunday Farmer’s Market” every Sunday morning in February at its Food Resiliency Hub in the village of Yona. We encourage community members to make time for the farmer’s market, enjoy the beautiful Sunday surrounded by natural beauties in the south of the island, and purchase food from local farmers and producers as much as possible. In addition to food and diet, body weight is affected by many other factors, including genetics, hormones, environment, medications, and stress. Willpower alone does not drive weight-loss outcomes. People with obesity should understand that learning the science behind weight management from professionals is important. Every small improvement can bring meaningful benefits. Steady lifestyle changes will help long-term well-being. http://www.hsvg.org/hot_530574.html * Guam’s obesity prevalence is over 40% 2026-02-13 2027-02-13
Guahan Global Foundation P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA http://www.hsvg.org/hot_530574.html
Guahan Global Foundation P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA http://www.hsvg.org/hot_530574.html
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Home ﹥ News > News > * Sweden and Taiwan Are Showing the World a Sustainable Way to Fearlessly Live with the Coronavirus

(May 22, 2020)

Sweden and Taiwan Are Showing the World a Sustainable Way to Fearlessly Live with the Coronavirus


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An article on the website of science journal Nature mentioned that 22 scientists wrote to the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter in April criticizing Sweden's no-lockdown response to COVID-19. Our evidence-based analysis actually shows that lockdown is not a one-size-fits-all measure and Sweden is truly showing the world a sustainable way for everybody to fearlessly live with the virus, which is an inevitable situation we all need to face and accept for a while.



The biggest myth about lockdowns is that they are the only solution when an epidemic worsens. In fact, a lockdown is a measure to cordon off a seriously-affected area so that people in other areas are protected. When SARS hit Taiwan 17 years ago, the health authority locked down a hospital, where a serious nosocomial infection occurred, to protect the community. When Wuhan became a miserable epicenter of China in January, Chinese government issued a lockdown order to prevent the coronavirus from further spreading to other cities and provinces.



Italian officials misunderstood the lockdown measure. Italy was the first country in Europe to enforce a lockdown order, starting from the north and then spreading nationwide. However, unfortunately, Italy also became the first country in the world to have death toll that surpassed China's on March 19.



The lockdown measure was also misunderstood in New York State of the United States. While California and Washington States, on the West Coast, were piling confirmed cases in February, New Yorkers seemed to think they had nothing to do with the virus at all. The Wall Street Journal reported that hospitals in New York did not well plan coordination until the death toll topped 1200. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a “stay home” order on March 20 and enforced strict measures, but, unfortunately, New York became the US state that reported the greatest number of deaths from COVID-19.



Belgium seemed to rush into a lockdown as well, but forgot to take care of the high-risk elderly. The BBC reported on May 2 that, out of Belgium's 7,703 deaths, 53% have been in care homes. Belgian Officials told BBC that poor preparation left care home staff lacking personal protective equipment (PPE) and that allowed the virus to spread quickly.



An analysis done by Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, an Israeli top scientist, has shown that the novel coronavirus would run its full course of epidemic no matter if there is a lockdown or any similar restrictions in place. One price of chaotic restrictions – which the whole world must pay for - is the collapse of supply-chains. This has sadly led to many frontline medical personnel having to fight the coronavirus without personal protective equipment (PPE).



We think that a “flu-like epidemic control” better describes Sweden's COVID-19 response strategy. Although COVID-19 is not flu, the coronavirus appears to be highly contagious and has a transmission pattern similar to a flu pandemic, with so many countries worldwide reporting confirmed cases. The most relevant and sustainable measures for most countries are therefore flu control protocols.



In the end of January, Germany’s first two cases contracted the virus from a colleague who flew in from Shanghai to join the company’s workshop. Soon after, two other colleagues, who had not had contact with the Chinese visitor, tested positive for the coronavirus. This cluster has preliminarily showed the virus could be easily transmitted from human to human - very similar to an influenza virus. At the same time, those German patients’ very mild flu-like symptoms were noticed.



Singapore and Japan offered significant evidence of a larger scale in February. As of February 29, Singapore had reported 93 cases, including five clusters and quite a number of patients whose source of infection could not be traced. It was showing that the coronavirus could easily spread within a community, just like what an influenza virus can do.



By February, Japan had confirmed more than 250 cases - excluding the cruise line’s cases. Most of those infected had flu-like symptoms only, while six older patients died of pneumonia. So, in Japan, the virus was also showing a flu-like epidemic, which usually brings senior people a higher risk for developing severe illness and causing fatality.



Therefore, the frighteningly high death toll number in China and Italy could be the result of a medical system collapse caused by too many patients rushing to hospitals, which is the scenario usually observed during a flu pandemic.



Unfortunately, most people seem too nervous to notice the virus' “flu-like epidemic pattern”, so they rushed into lockdowns and emotionally criticized that countries without strict restrictions are risking people's lives. If the world's leading countries, or international organizations, stepped forward in March to coordinate a global force to battle the pandemic with measures derived from flu control protocols, the whole story would be different now.



Taiwan's success story offers an example of effective control protocols that combines an existing flu-like disease surveillance system, previous SARS control experience, and no strict lockdowns. The surveillance system asks clinics and hospitals to cooperate by reporting patients with flu-like symptoms for virus testing and early treatments. Taiwan also asks infected people and their contacts must undergo a home or facility quarantine, as well as reminds healthy people to practice good hygiene all the time to flatten the epidemic curve, but has never seriously disrupted people's daily routines. For example, many people in Taipei still commute by train every day.



As of May 12, Taiwan, with a population of 23 million citizens, had reported 6 deaths from COVID-19 and less than 500 confirmed cases, while New York State, having its 19 million residents under strict lockdowns, has reported more than 27,000 deaths.



In addition, Taiwanese have been promptly wearing a mask since the middle of January even though experts could not agree on whether it helped at that time. Taiwanese government also coordinated mask manufacturers to increase production capacity to meet people’s demands of purchasing masks. In contrast, most of western countries did not add wearing a mask to their COVID-19 control guidelines until April.



The only thing that Sweden needs to worry about is the high number of deaths form COVID-19 at nursing homes. If nearby hospitals have spare capacity, it would be better to move nursing home residents to hospitals, and thoroughly clean and sanitize affected nursing homes.



Sweden also needs to learn that Taiwan's experience has proved wearing a mask can be an effective extra precaution, especially for countries trying to avoid stricter restrictions. People do not need a surgical mask. Cloth masks work well, too. The more Swedes wear a mask, the more effective Sweden's COVID-19 control measures will appear to the world.



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