Obesity in children is on the rise. The revelation came from Dr Maritza Fernandes, paediatrician consultant at the Eric Williams Medical Science Complex (EWMSC) and leader of the Wee Fit Project. During a workshop at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, entitled Reducing Childhood Obesity on Saturday, Fernandes spoke about excess body fat that negatively affects a child's health.
If obesity in children was not addressed early, Fernandes said, this can lead to a number of diseases, mainly diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure later on in life. She blamed fast foods for the high cholesterol levels. Describing the rise as worrying, Fernandes said, obesity among children between the ages of seven to 12 has increased in the last ten years.
"It has reached a point where one in four children are overweight. One third of our children so far has a cholesterol level over 200." The normal reading of cholesterol in a child is between 150 to 170. Fernandes said it was critical to also look at overweight children under age five.
"By the time you are overweight at five we would have loss half the battle." She explained that primary schools in St George East area had the highest figures with child obesity. Fernandes attributed too many calories and lack of physical exercise for the growing problem.
A lot of children, Fernandes said skipped breakfast and resort to consuming potato pies and soft drinks in schools. Fernandes also explained that some of the meals offered to pupils in the School Feeding Programme needed to be looked at since she claimed they were not healthy and well-proportioned.
Many pupils, Fernandes said, also fail to participate in physical education in schools, opting instead to stay in their classrooms and play games. In February, the Ministry of Health opened a Paediatric Healthy Lifestyle Clinic at the EWMSC to help children fight fat. More than 100 children have registered.
Though few of them had shed the pounds, Fernandes said, it was a start. "If we can't get children healthy now, in ten or twenty years from now, we will be taking care of a very sick population. This is going to explode on us."
