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Following the success of its first Health Expo last year, the Warrens Polyclinic will be conducting another one on March 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the L&N Workshop Inc., Acme Complex car park, Cane Garden, St. Thomas.
Dubbed ???Jump Start to Health’, the Expo aims to encourage Barbadians to live healthier lifestyles. It will feature blood pressure and blood sugar testing, PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood tests, HIV screening as well as Body Mass Index (BMI) screening. In addition, there will be health food samples and drinks, magazines on healthy eating, tetanus immunisations and Environmental Health Officers will speak on leptospirosis and dengue fever.
Health Sister at Warrens Polyclinic, Jeanette Babb, said last year’s Expo, held at the Super Centre Warrens Complex, Warrens, St. Michael, was a success with approximately 100 people getting various tests done. However, she added that the BMI screening seemed to be the most popular with patrons and it revealed that a good percentage of participants were overweight.
"We started doing the BMI, where it looks at your visceral fat around the organs and your skeletal muscle and your Body Mass Index tells you if you need to lose weight.
For instance, it is your weight in relation to your height. It gives you a good idea of where you need to go and where you need to get. It is done by a relatively new machine and I find people find it very fascinating. It gives them a read-out of their BMI so that they have a better picture [of their health]. Last time, persons were overweight so we needed counselors to guide them to encourage them to walk more and eat more of a plant-based diet instead of animal-based foods," Ms. Babb explained.
She added that this year, the Expo would be targeting men, in particular, and encouraging them to have prostate screenings. Ms. Babb noted that the venue was chosen with this in mind, since much of the workforce in that catchment area comprises men.