“Nowhere in the Caribbean are there polices that speak to the advertising of unhealthy foods to children,” says Prof Sir Trevor Hassell of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition.
With NCDs taking over the world, becoming epidemic and taking lives along with them with their complications, Prof. Sir Trevor Hassell, is still saying that the advertising of “unhealthy foods” to kids is irresponsible and is calling for its reduction. He is also calling on Caribbean policy-makers to come up with policies to safeguard the lives of the Caribbean people and children in particular.
Having already outlined and shared the findings of the Regional Status Report on NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) in the Caribbean an 80 page report on Match 20th 2012, Prof. Hassell is not satisfied that enough attention is being paid by the powers that be in CARICOM to drive policy. He was mindful, however, that there are some encumbrances but meanwhile NCDs rage through the region.
He initially made his remarks at the NCD Child Conference in Trinidad and Tobago.
The report calls for a reduction in salt consumption, a ban on the sale of trans fats in the Caribbean, the limiting of marketing of energy dense (as opposed to nutrient dense), high salt and high sugar foods to children and a reduction in sweetened carbonated or non-carbonated beverages including fruit juices. He also indicated that the report highlights the increase in physical activity and the development, monitoring and implementation of national strategies and a CARICOM-wide strategy.
No national policies
Sir Trevor said that findings in the report suggest that there are no national policies against advertising of unhealthy foods to children. He also said that there were no known policies which speak to the harmful use of alcohol.
“We also found in the status report, that with respect to alcohol abuse, there are very few policies if any at all, around issues of alcohol abuse. Furthermore, few countries have got policies around population salt reduction. This is an important issue, because, as I have said on many occasions, excessive salt or sodium chloride intake contributes significantly to the large numbers of hypertensive persons we’ve got in Barbados and as you know, hypertension leads to heart disease” Hassell said.
He indicated that the incidence of childhood obesity and emerging NCDs n children was a major challenge and posed issues relative to the longevity of children unless there were policies in place and major dietary and other changes made among other strategies to address the issues.
He also indicated that no CARICOM country had any national policies or major initiatives with respect to the reduction of high blood pressure, salt intake or measures to reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke. Heart disease is one of the highest causes of death in the Caribbean. In Barbados, where HCC is located, the QEH records an average of 11 heart attacks a month and 49 strokes per month according to Dr. Anthony Harris, a noted cardiologist in Barbados.
In support of the findings, Hassell noted that there were inadequacies reported including the absence of up to date management guidelines for the treatment of chronic diseases.
The President said that there is thus a “call to action” from the Report, which speaks to recommendations that should be adopted throughout the Caribbean.
