With obesity rates continuing to rise among school-aged children, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. The Most Honourable Kenneth George, is condemning the “covert” marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children, whether through the sponsorship of social events or school sports.
Speaking at the start of the Ross University School of Medicine and CIBC Caribbean’s Obesity Symposium last Saturday, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Dr. George said the Ministry of Health and Wellness must work to ensure that public health interests are not sacrificed “at the altar of profits”.
He noted that historically, commercial issues have, at times, caused dissension between the health and commercial sectors. However, the Chief Medical Officer emphasised the Ministry would continue to advocate for and work towards a commercial sector that contributes not only to the financial growth of the economy but also to its health and wellness.
“We are aware of the alarming statistics and modelling projections for obesity in the region of CARICOM. More than 35 per cent in the school-aged population and upwards of 60 per cent in the adult population are overweight and or obese.
“In Barbados, 74.2 per cent of our women and 57.5 per cent of our men are overweight (Health of The Nation Study). Alarmingly, the highest percentage of morbid obesity was seen in adults, the 25 to 44 age group,” he shared.
He added that many people in Barbados have not adopted healthy lifestyles, which include eating well-balanced meals; consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables per day; and exercising regularly.
Dr. George pointed out that obesity is not just a cosmetic concern but also a medical and public health challenge that increases the risk of ill health and death.
“Given the clear epidemiological link of obesity with conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular disease risk, and some cancers, the time for action is now,” he emphasised.
He underscored the importance of creating a society that facilitates decisions and implements policies that protect health and wellness. To achieve this, the Chief Medical Officer said the Ministry was currently engaged with several policy and programme options. These include:
- Banning partially hydrogenated fats also known as trans fatty acids by December 2025.
- The approval by the Cabinet of Barbados followed by the roll out of the National Nutrition Policy.
- Recommending taxes of 20 per cent on the sale price of sugar-sweetened beverages as a disincentive for over-consumption.
- Adoption of guidelines to support healthy eating and good nutrition throughout the life course.
- Adoption of a Breast Feeding Policy for Barbados that promotes exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of life and saying ‘no’ to inappropriate use of breast milk substitutes.
- Working with civil society organisations and like-minded partners to have front of package warning labels introduced in Barbados.
- Promotion of the National Nutrition Centre’s Summer Camp to educate and teach children on healthy food choices.
- Continued governmental support to the Barbados National Registry for non-communicable disease – a partnership with the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre of The University of the West Indies.
- Supporting the work of the National NCD Commission towards its mandate of improving the policy environment for prevention and control of NCDs.
- Introduction of Bariatric Surgery, as a method to manage selected morbid obesity clients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Dr. George stated that a whole-of-society response was required to combat the rising incidence of obesity – government, the private sector, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, academia, and the general public.
He lauded the Ross University School of Medicine for having the “foresight and vision” to hold the symposium on obesity, which he said would place a much-needed spotlight on this “silent killer”.