Imbert on importance of exercise: 'I gained 30 pounds in 30 years'

The ministries of Health, Youth Development and National Service, and Sport and Community Development are working together to create 26 indoor spaces for youths to get involved in physical activities.

The Healthy Youth TT Programme was launched on Saturday at the Bagatelle Community Centre, Diego Martin, where a small, fully equipped gym was unveiled.

The aim of the programme was to provide physical activity equipment to selected community centres, youth, and sporting facilities to give young people access to basic equipment in their communities. It also aimed to develop and implement a community-based, youth-targeted health promotion wellness programme.

Funding for the equipment was provided by the Inter-American Development Bank, as part of its US$48 million loan for the execution of the Health Services Support Programme (HSSP) and its goal to form a coordinated national response to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their associated risk factors.

One of the reasons the focus was on youths was because the Ministry of Health’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy 2019 (Childhood Obesity Policy) reported that childhood overweight and obesity were precursors to chronic disease among adults. Overweight children were more likely to stay or become obese as adults, often leading to diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

In 2016, it was determined that NCDs were the greatest contributors to morbidity, accounting for 81 percent of deaths in TT. It also poses an economic burden of US$1.19 billion or approximately 4.3 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Most of the speakers mentioned the timeliness of the launch as children and young people were less physical active, made poor diet choices and had mental health challenges because of covid19 restrictions in gathering and participation in team sports, and having to learn online.

Technical director of the Project Implementation Unit of the HSSP, Renee Franklin, said her unit would consult with communities, civil society and NGOs, and the private sector to find out their needs; what programmes would work for them; and how they would want the programmes run. It would also find out who in the communities were knowledgeable in the areas of nutrition and physical fitness, and train others as instructors.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, Finance Minister Colm Imbert, and MP for Diego Martin Central, Symon Nobriga, recalled their days of playing outside as youths – playing football and cricket, pitching marbles, climbing trees, running and more.

Imbert said in his day there were no cell phones, video games or internet so children had no choice but to entertain themselves by playing outside and getting involved in sports. He also revealed that since he entered public life as a politician 30 years ago, he gained 30 pounds.

“That is what happens to us as we get in to this kind of job. You no longer have the opportunity to exercise, you work long hours, you eat badly at strange times and that sort of thing. So I just want to warn my new colleagues, that is your fate. You will be putting on weight.”

He believed youths had similar habits as they spend much of their time indoors without partaking in physical activities.

According to Deyalsingh, in TT, the rate of obesity in children increased by 109 per cent in a ten-year period. He said he understood that outdoor spaces were not available as in his time, which was why they brought the facilities indoors.

Nobriga added that lifestyle changes did not have to be big. People could simply eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise, and drink more water.

Sport and Community Development Minister Shamfa Cudjoe said she was excited about that programme, especially since there would be four facilities in Tobago.

She added that the Pink Reign campaign, which was launched under the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, would be an unofficial part of the Healthy Youth TT Programme. Her ministry intended to work with sporting groups on programmes geared specifically to women, and sponsor girls in sporting activities where there were Healthy Youth TT facilities.

“We have revamped the Pink Reign campaign and are doing it in a more community centric manner.”

She explained that it was noticed that around puberty many girls stopped doing sports and few started again when they got older. Therefore, the purpose of the campaign was about promoting women and girls in sports.

“We have a culture in TT where a lot of parents and teachers think sports and physical activity is really for boys or people who are not academically inclined so it’s about changing the culture and exploring the full scope of what a woman in sport is.”

This included getting women in leadership positions at sporting clubs, community sporting organisations, and national dominant bodies so girls could see women in leadership positions in sports. She hoped to encourage those women to think in a more inclusive manner so women can survive and thrive in sporting environments.