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Helene Charlebois, Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist and Obesity Expert, speaking during the Nutrition Workshop at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital yesterday.

Wake-up call for parents

Research has revealed that parents will outlive their children in the 21st century.

This is according to Canadian Dietitian, Nutrition and Obesity Expert, Helene Charlebois, who was speaking during a nutrition workshop held yesterday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

“For the first time in history, if you have a child, your chances of seeing your child die before you are higher,” she warned.

Charlebois noted that this is largely due to the fact that children are not consuming healthy foods, with junk food now a normal part of their diet.

Stating that this information should serve as a wake-up call for parents, Charlebois revealed that the child obesity bracket is rapidly growing and parents need to consider ways to reduce it.

“Children are confused. There’s junk food everywhere. There’s junk in schools and at home so children are receiving mixed messages,” she lamented.

Charlebois suggested that parents look to implement a few strategies that would help reduce the incidences of obesity in children. She explained that she would like to see an action plan introduced in Barbadian homes where parents completely ban the consumption of junk food within the household.

“If you want to get ice-cream, go out and get it, no problem. If you want chips, go to the movies; and only eat junk foods on special occasions,” she said.

She explained that by doing this, children become accustomed to consuming healthy food on a regular basis and link junk foods to special and rare occasions.

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