Springer’s HYPE Day sparks awareness on NCDs

Springer Memorial School marked its 60th anniversary with a lively HYPE Day and Extravaganza, blending fun and education to tackle the growing issue of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among students.

From energetic fitness sessions to health checks and nutritious food sampling, the event underscored the importance of healthy living for Barbados’ youth.

Teacher Nicole Elliott said HYPE Day and Extravaganza was the perfect opportunity to get the students moving.

She said: “HYPE Day is ‘Health for Youth through Physical Activity’, and it is a day where we all come together to do physical activity because children now are usually very sedentary, outside of those who do physical activity for competitive sports. Because of that, the ministry decided that this was an initiative that would be very good for children, and it also encourages them to come to school, have camaraderie, and find ways to be physically active.”

This year, the school invited radio stations Hitz and Slam, soca artists Salt and Cooper Dan, and fitness instructor Spinny to join the event, helping to energise the students through music, dance, and fitness activities.

Elliott said the students were eager to attend the day’s event. “The response was so good that we had students who were at home ill, and they would send us emails requesting a ticket for HYPE Day. So even that was very intriguing to see because imagine that you are at home but you are still interested in being here just to be a part of today’s event.”

A medical team from the Diabetes Association was also at the school to test and counsel students. “Parents were able to sign up students for testing, to get their BMIs checked, and to speak with some of the nutritionists and interns from the McGill School.”

She explained: “That testing is for those students who may already have issues so that we can help them and guide them in ways to manage what they may have or prevent what they may be close to having, in a timely manner. The earlier we catch something, the better it is for the student,” she added. “So they can get their blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol checked, but only with the permission of the parent.”

Elliott believes that of the nearly 1 000-strong school population, most students were in attendance today.

Acting principal June Moe emphasised that activities like HYPE Day are crucial in promoting well-rounded individuals, particularly when it comes to health, as NCDs continue to be a significant issue in Barbados.

To help address this, the school chose several activities to get the students active. “We have things such as rollerblading and Jenga,” Principal Moe said.

“Young children have NCDs as well, and it can put a strain on the public purse. So if we can try to stem that in some way by getting our young ladies very involved in their health, they will know their numbers. They’ll understand their blood pressure, high blood sugar, and the importance of moving their bodies, which will go a long way in alleviating the high incidences of NCDs in this country.”

Moe also encouraged students to sample healthy snacks, offering them alternatives to sugary, high-fat foods. “There are a lot of companies that are sampling healthy alternatives to the sugary, high-fat foods that we, unfortunately, have become so used to out of convenience. So they are sampling them so that these children’s taste buds, I believe, will adapt to those options.”

She stressed the importance of returning to natural, whole foods: “We want to get away from the ultra-processed foods, especially, and go back to what we know—food that comes right from the ground, that is healthy and full of all the vitamins and minerals, micronutrients that have been provided for us through photosynthesis.”

(LG)