IT IS TIME TO TACKLE OBESITY SAYS COTED

By Caribbean Medical News Staff

Children will be the subject of intense scrutiny as the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and CARICOM’s Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) tackle the vexing and serious issue of obesity in the Caribbean in all people.

Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs) have created an immense burden on the health care systems across the region. Conditions like heart disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes in children and cancer continue to escalate and create significant hardship for the sufferers and cost to business, family and government.

According to the Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr James Hospedales said that this is the moment for collaborative programmes geared towards reducing obesogenic environments and obesity. Speaking to the Ministers’ meeting at COTED, Hospedales indicated that research by CARPHA illustrated steadily increasing rates of obesity in children, describing this as a major risk factor for the Caribbean.

In his observance of World diabetes Day, he added that high cholesterol levels, hypertension, urbanization, a sedentary lifestyle and an ageing population are definite risk factors for a region burdened with spiralling CNCDs. He said that he remained hopeful that through collaboration between trade and health, that a framework for sustainable development and economic fortitude alongside a healthy population could be realized. Hospedales maintained that this could only happen if action was taken to reduce chronic non-communicable diseases especially amongst children. He indicated that apart from the  quality of life improving for all, he said that the collaboration of COTED and CARPHA could also build and foster beneficial foreign policy goals.

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