2019 a year of success for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme

For the Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme, 2019 could only be described as a truly successful year.

As she spoke with The Barbados Advocate recently, Stacia Browne, Communications Officer for the Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, highlighted that the Programme set major goals for 2019 and she was proud to report that they accomplished most of them.

She reported that they were able to be part of the Coalition on Childhood Obesity Prevention, and joined 15 other organisations and a few individuals who have a care for the cause and are invested in it.

Browne went on to note that there was also the Model School Programme, which was launched with six schools, where they adopted being free of carbonated drinks.

Another programme that she was proud of was the vendor training programmes; they were able to host three sessions throughout the year with the help of the Barbados Association of Retailers, Vendors and Entrepreneurs (BARVEN).

“These programmes were geared at training vendors in and around the school environment and the canteens about alternative drinks that they can use for the children within the schools, and that went really well. We are really excited about the response of the vendors, they have come onboard and they are willing to learn new techniques in serving healthier foods and drinks and that is something we are really excited about because we want them to be able to earn a living as well,” she said.

The Communications Officer went on to say that they conducted two major campaign launches, in May and October, where they advocated for the removal of sugary drinks in the schools.

“So, the programmes went off really well for 2019, it is something that many Barbadians are interested in and paying a lot of attention. The students in the model schools as well are really energised about the campaign and are really aiming to live healthier lives. And then obviously let’s not forget Cheyne Jones with ‘No Sugar November’ which was well received by Barbadians, as they challenged themselves to not drinking any sugar for the month of November and they were astounded about how well their bodies responded to not having any sugar,” she added.