Our children now have another issue to battle with. From bullying to abuse, sexual or otherwise, they now have to deal with the increasing incidence of obesity. The issue was raised earlier this week at the regional Paediatric conference– The Bridge–From Infancy to Adulthood at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann's. Dr Anjanie Sharma delivered the feature address where she spoke of the alarming obesity rate of children in this country.
She noted that last week, the T&T Health Sciences Initiative hosted a symposium featuring the research done through their Diabetes Outreach Programme in this country. "What they have brought to the forefront really hit home when it comes to childhood obesity. I am not exaggerating when I say that obesity among children is an epidemic in T&T. Our children are tipping the scales in the unhealthiest way, making them some of the most obese in the world," said Sharma.
She noted that in the county of St George, one in four children are overweight, while the rate in South Trinidad is even higher with one in three children overweight children. Many factors could account for this. Our sedentary lifestyle, where families are no longer promoting sports as a means recreation, is a key factor. Children are now hooked on computer games, with the obvious negative effects.
The proliferation of fast food outlets, from the big chains to the chinese food and doubles retailers, make it easier to purchase unhealthy food options. Parents who spend hours in traffic no longer have time to cook healthy meals nor play with their children on an evening. This is a serious epidemic, as we are setting up our children for future lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes if we do not correct this trend.
Hence, it was a timely and very relevant intervention by the Youths on a Mission organisation when they launched their "Live yuh Life" initiative this past Sunday at the Palmiste Park in South Trinidad. With the support of the Attorney General, they held a health fair that promoted living a healthy lifestyle. More of these types of activities is needed if we are to curb this scourge. If not we could be facing a serious health epidemic that will strain our limited resources in the coming decades.
Ricardo Jimenez,
Diego Martin