EDITORIAL: Addressing the challenge of Childhood Obesity

THE Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) has of late been calling attention to the growing challenge of childhood obesity across the region.

HCC President, Professor Sir Trevor Hassell, has noted that the Caribbean has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world, and the Coalition has adopted a multi-stakeholder approach designed to galvanise civil society across the region. He also noted that the HCC is lobbying for higher taxes for unhealthy food, the banning of sugary drinks in school and educational initiatives to foster healthier diets.

The HCC has signalled that it means business. As such, the HCC’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Online Petition recently moved into full gear, with the launch of its (hashtag) #toomuchjunk campaign, which further calls attention to the issue. The campaign #toomuchjunk seeks to spread awareness of the need for changes in the eating and drinking habits of the region’s children; the growing challenge of Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean and the critical link between childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases. The campaign’s Call for Action also includes signing the HCC’s online petition at www.toomuchjunk.org and Barbadians should really visit the website and show their support for this critical initiative.

Looking at the statistics, we really can see that we need to take action. A recent study done in four Caribbean countries has found that 30 per cent of children ages 11 through 13 are overweight or obese. Word is that the number of overweight and obese children in the region has tripled in the last few years, due primarily to unhealthy diets and inadequate exercise. The consequences of overweight and obesity in children are serious, including breathing difficulties, hypertension, early signs of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effects.

Of late, Professor Margaret Anne St. John, Consultant with the Department of Paediatrics at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados, has noted that childhood overweight and obesity account for the most prevalent nutritional disorder in children and adolescents in the United States and in many developing countries. She further indicated that adolescent obesity disproportionally affects girls in Barbados, according to a 2005 study. Stressing that in Barbados chronic non-communicable diseases are reaching epidemic proportions in children, Professor St. John maintained that avoidance of these diseases should be the aim. For those who want to take steps to combat childhood obesity, St. John recommends the 5-4-3-2-1 rule for eating, “Five servings of fruits and vegetables; four cups or more of water a day, and not sugary drinks; three servings of low fat, non-fat milk or dairy; two hours or less of screen time for TV or computer use; and one hour or more of physical activity.”

Now there is much more that needs to be done at the policy level to address the challenge of childhood obesity for sure. It is noteworthy, therefore, that the HCC plans to present its Childhood Obesity Prevention Petition at the upcoming CARICOM Heads of Governments Conference in Jamaica in July 2018. The HCC is meanwhile calling on all civil society organisation members (CSOs) to continue to share the petition far and wide. Local social and sports clubs, businesses, school Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and friends and family are also being encouraged to make their voices heard, concerning this major challenge of childhood obesity. Indeed, we can join the HCC in its efforts to tackle this challenge of childhood obesity, as many hands make light work.

Barbados Advocate

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