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Andrew Dhanoo, president of the T & T Diabetes Association, at Wednesday's JSC meeting. * OFFICE OF PARLIAMENT
(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) – At least 50% of children in primary and secondary schools are overweight and at risk of becoming diabetic.
This surprising statistic was revealed at the meeting of a joint joint commission on social services and public administration to examine the current level of childhood obesity and the measures taken. by the state to promote a healthier lifestyle for children.
Among the initiatives implemented by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health in 2017, was the restriction of sales of soft drinks in schools.
Schools have also set up 4-H clubs to encourage physical activity in children.
The factors that led to obesity in children were heard by the committee: poor diet and inactivity.
Representatives of the Ministry of Sport and Youth, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Diabetes and Diabetes Association (DATT) and the National Parents Teachers' Association (NPTA) were called before the JSC.
The president of the Diabetes Association, Andrew Dhanoo, admitted that his organization had observed a growing number of young people diagnosed with diabetes.
More people under 30 are being tested for type 2 diabetes, he said.
Dhanoo said more children had pre-diabetes indicators and were overweight.
One of the prediabetes indicators, he said, was the darkening of the skin behind the neck.
The organization suggested that significant changes in schools to promote a healthy environment be adopted at the earliest.
"We are now seeing children develop diabetes and noncommunicable diseases before their parents, in some cases," he said.
If this trend continued, Dhanoo said we would face a situation where children would die before their parents.
He added that the statistics were provided by the Global Health School survey, presented from 2011 to 2017.
NPTA President Raffiena Ali-Boodoosingh said that the prevention of obesity should be our first practice rather than the intervention.
"Childhood obesity has grown exponentially in our country. In fact, as I have heard, there has been a 400% increase over 2009 and it has become a societal problem. "
Ali-Boodoosingh said that a health workshop held in 2017 had shown that Arima had the highest number of cases of obesity in registered children.
"The most recent statistics presented to us show that childhood obesity went from 2.4% in 1999 to 13% in 2009 and in 2017 to 55% – between five and 18 years of age. This phenomenon is scary. That should worry us seriously, parents.
She said many children in schools have symptoms of diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Adding that there was no evaluation of the health benefits of meals provided to students as part of the school feeding program. However, meals prepared for school children by caterers are prepared according to the guidelines of a registered dietitian.
"A whole generation is exposed to the risk of obesity," she warned.
While Richards said the numbers were striking, Mr. Dhanoo said that the 400% increase in Ali-Boodoosingh was a little imprecise.
As of 2017, Dhanoo said the figure had gone to "one in two. So, half of our children are overweight or obese. So it's really like a 45% increase. "
Richards urged officials to work together in the interest of solving problems.
"If we do not work collaboratively, we are turning in the mud," said Richards.
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