1 in 3 Barbadian children is overweight or obese and 18% ate fast food 3-4 times a week and 73.3% reported drinking at least one soda a day. Foods high in sugar, fats, and sodium can lead to obesity and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The country is already grappling with 83% of deaths caused by NCDs and an economic burden of over $BBD 60 million per year on cardiovascular diseases and diabetes alone.

The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados, under its Childhood Obesity Prevention (COP) Programme, launched another phase of its healthy food policy campaign entitled “Out of Our Schools” to bring attention to the issue and join the 92% of Barbadians who support having a National Policy to ensure a healthy school environment.

Following Cabinet’s approval of the School Nutrition Policy, the “Out of Our Schools” campaign aims to build support for the Policy; to continue the call for the strong implementation and monitoring of the policy and to increase public knowledge about the health harms of excess consumption of foods high in sodium, fats, and sugar. It also intends to support policy makers in the removal of unhealthy foods and beverages from schools with the support of parents and guardians.

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