Obesity Awareness and Prevention Among Adolescents in St. Kitts and Nevis
Goal
The key aim is to help Young People in St. Kitts & Nevis with making better decisions in relation to their health. Our mandate is to provide information to young people of St. Kitts & Nevis to help them make healthier life choices to prevent obesity. We will be working with the local schools, churches and health centers on this project.
Project Abstract
One of the major shifts taking place in the field of health has been the transition from malnutrition and infectious diseases as the greatest health issue, to where chronic non-communicable diseases have taken the lead. This shift has led clinicians to change approaches and treatment protocols. According to the PAHO 2012 County Report, “the leading causes of illness, disability and death among adults in St. Kitts & Nevis now include morbidity causes of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, excess weight, diabetes, schizophrenia, depression and substance abuse.” Due to this shift more focus on preventive, non transitional, and holistic medical approaches are needed.
Obesity threatens the health of both children and adults throughout the Caribbean. Twenty-six percent of school-age children in St. Kitts & Nevis are obese, putting them at risk of diabetes and hypertension. The problem is exacerbated by the poor availability of nutritious foods such as fruit and vegetables and people’s dependence on imported processed foods.
Objectives
The objectives and activities of this project are:
Objective 1: Help prevent the rampant increase in above normal weight issues in the 10 to 18 years of age.
Activities
- Hold a national workshop about the health risks of obesity
- Health life style classes
- Healthy food shopping trips
- How to read and understand food labels
- Healthy cooking
- Exercise and health
- Regional health day and fair
- Understanding the role of water and sugar
- Seed collection
- Gardening for my back yard
Benefits to Participants
- Increase energy to remove chronic diseases and less dependency on long term medication.
- Improve brain function and circulatory system.
- Decrease the levels of chronic diseases such as Hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancers and strokes.
- Increase GDP of the nation, as a result of higher numbers of healthier citizens.
- Decrease the number of people going to hospitals and clinics freeing up precious tax dollars.
- Increase tourism numbers to the federation, which will be marketed as a healthy vacation destination.
- Decrease the chance of a missing generation due to untimely death.