As Dominica joins the world in observing World Health Day, today, Health Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux, has expressed concern over the issue of increased childhood obesity in Dominica.
In an address to mark the day, Darroux said although Diabetes is one of the largest global health emergencies of the twenty-first century, obesity among children, and also adults in Dominica, is increasing at a rate that is alarming.
“Unfortunately, overweight and obesity among our children and adolescent population are increasing at an alarming rate,” he said.
According to Darroux, clinic data shows that the prevalence of overweight and obese children from 0 to 59 months increased from 9 percent in 2000, to 12 percent in 2009. An estimated 4.8 percent of adolescents from 13 to 15 years were overweight, and 9.1 percent, obese, he stated.
He said that children’s diet and lifestyle contribute greatly to the issue.
“It can be argued that much of the overweight and obesity among our children is directly related to the processed energy-dense, non-nutritious food and drinks that they consume, coupled with physical inactivity at home and in the school environment,” he explained. “Some of our children are daily fed food and drinks of high sugar and salt contents—some of these so-called snacks can be classified as non-foods; yet, our children consume them every day. Meanwhile, physical inactivity is encouraged, with such energy-saving machines like motor vehicles, and passive entertainment machines, as computers, video games, and television.”
The Minister noted that special emphasis is needed on school curricula in order to curb and prevent obesity.
He noted that the government of Dominica has been looking over the regulations and just recently, it announced the School Nutrition Policy “that will enhance the choices people make.”
He also mentioned that the 10 percent tax, imposed on food and drinks with high sugar content, in September 2015, went towards the production and maintenance of a national “Get Healthy” Campaign.
However, Darroux stressed that without the help and cooperation of individuals, parents and each sector of society, the government’s efforts will prove futile.
World Health Day is being observed in Dominica under the theme: “World Health Day 2016: Stay Super, Beat Diabetes, With Fit and Healthy Children.”
Back in the day we did not eat as well as we eat now, so I don’t believe it’s so much because of diet. We ate cooking butter with everything, we ate bread loaded with lard, we did not know sugar free gum and kids ate a whole lot more sweets, but out of 200 kids only 1 was fat, only 1 wore glasses and none had diabetes. But we had a jump road in our school bags, and after school every child could be found on the playing fields until the church bell began to ring at 6. Get the kids active again! Even the way the schools have sports day now is a disgrace! I was almost in tears this year when I saw the boring sports day the schools had.?
Some people probably did not eat as well as they did today; not all of them. Everyone I knew looked healthy then and were not sick, even as children.
There were processed meats in cans eaten as part of breakfast, as Vienna Sausages, Corned Beef, etc. In my parents home, we did not each much of that and by no means daily.
Today, there are more of them on the market. Those who eat them should cut down on them or simply not eat them at all.
How many drink a glass of milk? I heard we should drink two glasses of milk daily. Also, never be hungry. This could eventually be a cause of cancer.
It does not mean we should eat a lot and consistently so; just nutritiously.
Darroux, I am not a practicing medical doctor, I do not have a medical degree, however, I majored in health science, everybody who is anybody and whish to become a medical doctor must major in health science.
Based on the nonsense that you talk, I suggest you are not much of a medical doctor: And even if I did not finish medical school, I can compete with you and put you to shame, because as far as I see you do not know what the heck you are talking about.
And so I’ll brief you!
Obesity is the excessive accumulation of fat in ones body; increase in weight beyond that considered normal, or desirable with regard to age, height, and bone structure. One must take into account what is meant by excessive body fat, since an overweight person is not always obese, even though his/her body weight is in excess of the normal range according to a medical weight chart, if the individual does not have excess body fat.
A large body frame, and dense musculature, as in an athlete, can…
Continuation:
A large body frame, and dense musculature, as in an athlete, can contribute to a person weighing more than the weight indicated as optimal on a weight chart. in an effort to establish more precise guidelines, medical authorities has suggest the following standards. Overweight persons weigh (10%) ten percent more than their optimum weight; obese individuals weigh fifteen (15%) percent more, and grossly obese persons weigh twenty percent, or more above their optimum weight.
One method which can be used to determine obesity is the pinch test. That is a measurement of subcutaneous fat reserves. The pinch can be carried out in various places on the body; however, the most common site is the upper arm over the triceps muscle. A fold of skin, and subcutaneous fat is lifted free, between the thumb and the forefinger from the underlying structures.
An accurate measurement can be obtained by using a pair of calipers. Since the skin fold is a double thickness, one-half of…
Finally:
An accurate measurement can be obtained by using a pair of calipers. Since the skin fold is a double thickness, one-half of the total measurement is the thickness of the layer of excess fat. In general, a fold that measures 1/2 to one inch or 1/4 to 1/2 actual thickness is considered normal. A folding significantly greater than one inch indicates excessive body fat.
So you see Darroux it is stupid to sit whit a fat foot of a child, and talk crap about curricula and obesity; I do not know what sort of doctor you are!
“The Minister noted that special emphasis is needed on school curricula in order to curb and prevent obesity.”
Nonsense, total nonsense!
Darroux, where is your intelligence?
You call yourself a doctor, and talk so much nonsense: When you emphasis special interest in the school curriculum you are talking about teaching students about good nutrition; I mean people are not stupid, every idiot in Dominica by now should be aware that they should maintain a proper diet.
The problem is how are you going to teach proper nutrition, and by the time the students leave the class room and go home; the food they eat consists of all of the starches, pig mouth, chicken back, and neck, and of late the fast foods sold to the nation.
In a country where people are poor, and have no choice of what they eat, there is compelled to be a high volume of obesity. Hunger also produces obesity!
Dominicans go back to how we use to eat. Eat the fig in the morning with some salt fish and tea. As a registered nurse and leaving in the US I try my best to abstain from alot of the gabbage/processed food they sell. White bread, white rice, sugar is a big part of all this obesity. My advice go back to the basics. Drink water instead of soda, eat vegetables , eat less foods containing sugar. Eat processed foods in moderation and of course keep moving. Bring back rounders, hops scotch in the school yard instead of cell phones and other gadgets. Don’t follow the American trend of fast food crap. Fast food is good once in a while not for daily consumption. You will become what you eat.
Sure, obesity, diabetes… its always OUR fault. We don’t exercise enough, eat too much sugar, etc.
What about the stuff that is being put into our food that causes our cells to go bananas? Artificial sugar, more and more sugar, pesticides and the like, not to mention the tons and tons of vaccines that our kids get these days. What about that ‘Dr’?
Get the obesity Police to prevent over weight children and adults from entering KFC and all other fast food junk places… Parents stay home and cook healthy nutritious meals for your children… You don’t have to be a millionaire to cook a healthy meal..,
Obesity could commence from the womb. Pregnant women should be careful what they eat. Some babies are already obese at approximately three months.
For also adults, eating and not exercising, sitting in one place as it is today, in front of the TV and computer could also cause obesity.
Then there are those who eat and soon after go to sleep. I remember we would never eat a heavy meal late. If we happen to eat anything my father would caution us not to immediately lie down.
It is said, if we eat a heavy meal, do not lie down until approximately two hours after eating. In a big country, coming home from work and also shopping (no exception in D/ca), if it is late, it may be impossible to do.
As the years progress some realize how much weight they put on. Then they try to take it off by dieting. This in itself is not always healthy.
What a world we reside in. Oh those TV programs and Internet. In the end we pay for progress, modern-day society.
“Obesity could commence from the womb. Pregnant women should be careful what they eat. Some babies are already obese at approximately three months.”
Are you not tired of talking bull crap?
Why don’t you try to go to school and better yourself by getting an education. If you are unable to get some classes in Canada because of your age. Go south across the boarder in Up-state New York or Niagara Falls and see if you can get into and adult night classes, at elementary level.
If you are capable, enroll in a community two year college and try to improve your intelligence, you are ignorant, how the hell can a child be obese before the child was born, that does not even happen to animals! Your kind like to say “we can get that on the Internet; well tell me where on the Internet you get that hogwash nonsense?
You are an idiot!
When i was a child every food that ate came from the soil.On Fridays every afternoon we had sports,we walked to school,walk back home after school ,we went to carry the food home from the garden,Saturdays we went to the market with out parents if we were well behaved during the week,we played outside after school ,there was no play station nor t.v and a lot more.Now even in the village people use the bus to take the kids to school,to church,to the shops down the road.People refuse making time to cook ,vegetables and home grown foods.For the majority of the young people ,chips , fried foods,juice and soft drinks is the quickest and the best meal.Babies are given bottles more than breast milk because woman a beauty conscious in order to please men..we ate mangoes,oranges ,bread during break time at school ,now is salty or sweet snacks and juice…when will we learn ? What we eat is killing us little by little ….
Modern days and progress take their toll on a nation and nationals. Society of today is fast foods, soft drinks and snacks. All are unhealthy. Then they rush quickly to where they want to get to and back by driving or taking a bus.
I recall those days of eating fruits, vegetables and bread. There were times my mother would also make bread. I have adopted much of her health habits. This also includes my father, a health-conscious man.
I would sooner take a vitamin pill than a drug store pill, be it that if I have the flu. When people are relatively healthy, the flu does not last long in their system.
The Health Nurse, parents and schools should cooperate in teaching the children to eat healthily. Obesity is one cause of unhealthy lifestyle.
Parents of today could take the time to prepare nutritious meals for their babies and older children. They should not feed them excessively thereby setting an unhealthy pattern.
There is a relationship between obesity and poverty….Poor diet by many of those who are made beggars by this DLP evil regime…It will only get worse…
I blame the parents and the Government who is doing nothing for this continuos rise of this unhealthy malnutrition Blob Society Maladie is what we will have soon.high blood pressure diabetes, heart and kidney failure in our children.. Whilst the health authorities are happily enjoying their 5 years of fame…. The 70 s and the 80s in my opinion were the best years. Dominica was a healthy nation… Today it is not so. Women are out of shape . Obese and yet still want to wear the most scantily costume on carnival exposing all their obesity in public and on social media. Where are you all shame and once respect. And pride. Have you all really thought about this I myself once I begin to realise I am putting on weight I immediately do something about it But no. The more you all eat all these nasty unhealthy foods your clothes bursting at the seams out of shape and in Roseau. Looking for attention. My god where has my Dominica and my people who once took pride in self and appearance gone.
Once again the system has failed. Where are the sports in school. Belle marches. Swimming after school. Walking from home to school and Back. Why aren’t children not involved in any kind of sport… An iPad. A phone and a computer is the answer whilst pigging on hefty unhealthy snacks in between meals.
I saw kids during the opening of carnival and I must say I wanted to vomit.this was the level of my anger. I was in such a state. It is unbelievable that parents allow their children to be in such disgraceful un healthy conditions. .. Young children less than 10 years old over weight with bad posture, crooked legs, big bellies and swollen faces. This is upsetting and a ashame… In my days we were called megso and I wish it was still like this today cause we were meg , strong and healthy Today it’s not so at all. the situation of Obesity is a total nightmare and a disgrace and I blame the parents and the Government who is doing nothing to this rising malnourished blob…
Back in the day we did not eat as well as we eat now, so I don’t believe it’s so much because of diet. We ate cooking butter with everything, we ate bread loaded with lard, we did not know sugar free gum and kids ate a whole lot more sweets, but out of 200 kids only 1 was fat, only 1 wore glasses and none had diabetes. But we had a jump road in our school bags, and after school every child could be found on the playing fields until the church bell began to ring at 6. Get the kids active again! Even the way the schools have sports day now is a disgrace! I was almost in tears this year when I saw the boring sports day the schools had.?
Keep eating fast food, no home cooking. Children are not getting enough physical activity. I do notice some people doing early morning walking. That’s great!
Misery making us fat.
Get to the root of all evil. Poor parenting, poor government, poor policies, obese minds. This obesity thing increased from early Skerrit days and the ministers of Health then did nothing about it. Skerrit introduced the Red Clinic Obesity clinic. That failed, made parents lazy and dependent on Skerrits fast food handout. Political obesity and handouts has ruined Dominica big time.
YOu ministers have nothing new to offer or to do but wait for every moment use opportunity to put out press releases of nothing. Can you please tell us of the number of passports sold and where is the money? Also, what level of poverty your government has instilled on the public works workers. They must be hungry.? Questions sir, to a failed government. That is abuse sir, we want resignations and accountability.
Thats what happens when allu kill agriculture, junk food that there to eat
Health minister you have given only half of the reasons for rise in childhood and adult obesity in Dominica. You have failed to mention poverty,lack of employment opportunities, failed development policy which paid lip service to agricultural development and lack of playing facilities and organized sporting and other activities to get the young ones moving etc.When agriculture was swinging in D/CA the whole family got involved in the various activities and that was good for everyone.Instead your government put it’s focus on hotel development which has not materialized and where the farm family unit is not a player.Coupled with this a lack of jobs with the demise of manufacturing has left people without the purchasing power to buy more healthy foods,thus they consume comfort foods or snacks to stave off the hunger.This is a dim view of life in Dominica and it’s all because of the Labour party government.The question is, what are you going to do about it
This is only partially true. When the cost of soda is almost the same price of water then it is not a matter of purchasing power, it is a matter of ignorant choices. KFC is not inexpensive food. There needs to be an awareness campaign and yes a sugar tax.
This is very true!!! These guys make it look like they are addressing certain problems but in reality they are addressing problems which they themselves created. This is what they have been doing for the last 16 years; cleaning up after themselves. This story was about obesity. They need to talk about the malnourished skeleton looking ones that going to school every morning without a proper meal as a result of low family income. They thinking is everybody that have their kind of money to afford them $40 cereal and them $30 peanut butter and them $20 nutritious box of juice. Then them children don’t have any facilities (apart from the stone ridden gravel fields) to go and play and bun that fat. They kill the only the only children park the island had by Brizee’s Mart. Them fellars there mind must be living on fantasy island
I have to disagree because we have never been a rich nation and our grandparents lived on what they had. They did not have much and children were not obese or suffer from malnutrition. Your comment would be more appropriate for the American Society not DA. Dominicans can plant their own food Americans can’t. Dominicans have become so in trenched in living the American way that they don’t realize when it’s hurting their very lives. Poverty has nothing to do with Dominicans eating crappy. They choose to eat foods that are processed because they think it’s best and they don’t have to cook. Dominicans have to realize not everything America does is the right thing. Following America’s lead will take alot of Dominicans to hell if they are not careful.
They aren’t obese, they are pregnant. Boys and girls. Your co-ministers can tell you why!
Lol!!! That was a good one.
you are full of BS
Because in Dominica they swear the more you feed a child uncontrollably is love or you know how to take care of a child. Obesity is a dangerous disorder especially in children who suffer from other illness like asthma. Feed them right !!
Bring back health science back in the school curriculum.
Sadly, this is a worldwide trend, irrespective of a country’s relative wealth. And diabetes too. Too much sugar in diets.
This obesity among children is just the byproduct of the wicked system that the RED gangsters have put in place. This guy claimed that “much of the overweight and obesity among our children is directly related to the processed energy-dense, non-nutritious food and drinks that they consume, coupled with physical inactivity at home.” Ok sir, tell me something; when the nutritious drinks cost about $10 to $20 per box (depending on the size), how are the jobless people going to afford that? Don’t you think they would prefer to go for some cheap 50 cents cool aid to stain their insides? Them nutritious cereal all like $40 and a peanut butter all $30 how can we eat nutritiously when Skeritt’s conditions condemns us to eating dry bread? We haven’t got not one play park on the island and all the football playing fields are stone gravel fields, where are the children going to run around to burn that fat? All you kill the only children park on the island by Brizee’s Mart remember?
Obesity among women especially in the age range 16-39 is increasing at an alarming rate also.
Children obese. De young women obese – but what really going on in dat country dere nuh?