By Earyel Bowleg

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Health’s Healthy Bahamas Coalition launched their Let's Move Initiative: Reducing Childhood Obesity project at Stephen Dillet Primary School on Friday.

Students in grades 4-6 got a lesson in nutrition from health education officers from the ministry of health’s health education division. The benefits of a healthy diet as well as the negative impact of unhealthy eating was discussed along with nutritional value of certain fruits and vegetables. Afterwards, students marched straight to Windsor Park to do a series of physical activities such as speed walking and jumping rope.

The coalition is not only fighting obesity but ensuring children’s rights to access clean water, nutritious food and clean environments for recreating to do physical activity and reduce risk factors for developing non-communicable diseases.

Administrator at the Healthy Bahamas Coalition Marcia Munnings said: “This is important because we notice from our school surveys that non-communicable (diseases) was increasing among our children at higher rates. That our children were now developing adult diseases and so we wanted to reduce the risk,” she said.

Ms Munnings said partners of the initiative include the Urban Renewal Centre of the Police, the Ministry of Education, the Pan American Health Organization, and AML Foods Limited.

According to the 2013 Global School Based Health Survey, six in 10 children between the ages of 13-15 in The Bahamas were overweight or obese. The survey also revealed that 84 percent of children did not get enough exercise and only 16.6 percent usually ate fruits and vegetables five or more times a day.

The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, announced this week the launch of a pilot programme in an aid to encourage healthier eating habits among young people. The 100% SMART Fruits for Kids initiative will focus on the students and faculty members of Centreville Primary School where they will be provided fruit twice a week.