There are a worrisome number of overweight or obese people in Barbados.
“About 62 to 64 per cent of our population is either overweight or obese,” says Chief Medical Officer Dr Joy St John.
“This, combined with a low level of physical activity reported by 52 per cent of our citizens, makes a compelling case for us to intensify our efforts to help our Barbadians identify options for practising and maintaining healthy behaviours.”
St John revealed this at the launch of The National Task Force On Physical Activity And Exercise’s second workshop for community fitness trainers held at the Pan American Health Organisation Office.
The workshop is a precursor to the celebration of Caribbean Wellness Day 2010 to be observed tomorrow.
St John said: “Caribbean Wellness Day is a call to action for people of the region to be more physically active each and every day; and a call to eat a healthy diet, all in an effort to reduce the level of obesity and its complications, which are so prevalent among our populations.”
According to St John, stark figures indicate that 25 per cent of Caribbean adults are obese, 25 per cent are hypertensive, while the prevalence of diabetes is over ten per cent in at least four countries and there is evidence that the situation is worsening.
With CARICOM member states having a combined 50 per cent of the adult population overweight or obese.
St John noted that the Ministry of Health had over the past three months conducted several consultations to consider how to strengthen its capacity and better integrate prevention and control of chronic non-communicable diseases into the primary health care system. (LK)
