Country trailing in obesity fight

With Barbados having a mere one per cent chance of meeting its commitment to halt childhood obesity by 2025, some officials are pointing an accusing finger at the private sector for not doing more to help.

Members of the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition today challenged Government to urgently implement policies that would help to tackle the issue of childhood obesity and overweight in Barbados.

The issue came under the microscope on Wednesday at the 3W’s Oval of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, as members of the coalition joined with local and international health non-governmental organisations to mark the first Unified World Obesity Day.

President of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) Professor Sir Trevor Hassell said the issue of childhood obesity and overweight remained one of “significant concern”, adding that the high numbers of hemodialysis, amputations, strokes and loss of productivity, high cost of healthcare were as a result of non-communicable diseases “driven in many respects by childhood obesity”.

“It is a concern because childhood obesity is a marker for many of the chronic diseases, and also a marker for significant sickness and ill-health and tremendous financial cost to Barbados,” said Hassell.

Hassell said while Barbados agreed to achieving the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) nine voluntary global goals for NCDs by 2025 and the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, not enough work has been done.

“The sad thing is that at latest assessment, Barbados is showing a one per cent chance of meeting the goal of reducing or halting childhood obesity by the year 2025,” said Sir Trevor, as he pointed to the latest WHO report on the issue.

The report called for government-led policies, public education and action to be taken.

Hassell said while there was need for a collaborative effort in tackling the issue of childhood obesity and overweight, the private sector needed to do a lot more.

“It is not all doom and gloom. Some very positive steps have been taken. We have taken steps in Barbados for example, to tax sugar sweetened beverages at ten per cent,” he said.

“I emphasize, control of childhood obesity and obesity in general is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals . . . There is much evidence to show that the private sector in Barbados has contributed to the obesity epidemic in Barbados,” said Sir Trevor.

The coalition members said it was therefore critical that government put policies in place, the private sector engages in more “pro-health business practices” and parents lead by example and educate themselves and their children.

They also called on residents to challenge businesses to offer healthier options through their purchases.

Pierre Cooke, Youth Technical Advisor to the HCC, called for the elimination of “highly processed” meals in schools as part of the Government-run school meals programme.

At the same time, he accused companies of engaging in “predatory practices”, making it difficult for children to make the change from consuming what were considered unhealthy options.

“When you went to school it was to learn, now today you are being targeted by these companies to market these products to our children and they are not healthy products. So essentially what we are being placed in is a situation to pick our poison,” said Cooke.

“We are in this environment where we don’t have the options and the only marketing we receive is from companies who do not protect our best interests,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Madhuvanti Murphy, Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Medical Science at the UWI, Cave Hill Campus, acknowledged that changes at the household level would be difficult, but said government policies should make it easier.

“So the policy implications are really important because what we need to do is have a food environment that makes it easier to make changes or to give people choices that they can make informed choices on their food behaviour,” said Murphy.

“No one intervention is going to work by itself. There needs to be a range of interventions that work – at the policy level [and] community level,” she said, adding that in addition to taxation on high-sugar beverages, there was need for “policies that allow us to subsidize foods that are healthy.”

“Whether it be that they are at the same price point, but preferably at a lower price point. It should be a balancing act,” said Murphy. marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb