JSC reveals increase in obesity among some teens

INDEPENDENT Senator and joint select committe (JSC) chairman Paul Richards has expressed concern about a 13 per cent increase in overweight and obesity among students aged 13-15.

He was speaking Wednesday as Health Ministry and Education Ministry officials met with the JSC on Social Services and Public Administration at the Parliament building, Port of Spain.

Richards said two surveys have been commissioned by the health ministry, the Global School Health Survey (GSHS) 2017 and Evaluation of Schools Food Options and Surveys of Body Mass Index.

"And despite our best efforts...the data from the GSHS in TT over the past five years indicates that nationally the level of overweight and obesity among adolescents 13-15 was 51.1 per cent which represented a 13 per cent increase in overweight/obesity among this population over the period 2011 to 2017."

He said there was an increase in obesity of 5.7 per cent from 11.9 per cent in 2011 to 17.6 per cent while the level of overweight increased (by seven per cent) from 26.2 per cent in 2011 to 33.5 per cent in 2017.

Richards said there were many components to child nutrition and it was not only what children ate at school but also what is eaten at homes and playgrounds.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram said there was a worldwide increase of obesity due to decrease in physical activity and increased consumption of unhealthy foods. He said the ministry was trying to get physical activity up and encourage decreased consumption of unhealthy foods.