Moya Rhoe-Craigg | From school health survey to action

The 2026 Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) has uncovered that among Jamaican children aged 13 to 17 years, the prevalence of overweight has risen significantly from 23.3 per cent in 2017 to 31.7 per cent and that of obesity has more than doubled from 6.0 per cent in 2010 to 15.3 per cent.

To put this into perspective, one in three Jamaican school-aged children is overweight, and approximately one in six is obese. As the prevalence of overweight and obesity continues to rise, parents, caregivers, educators, healthcare providers, and policymakers need to pay attention. The GSHS findings should inspire action in our homes, schools, communities, and government.

The foundations for lifelong health are laid during childhood. Childhood nutrition influences growth, brain development, learning and school performance, emotional well-being, and the risk of developing chronic diseases later in life. The current situation with improper diets and ultra-processed foods has further propelled the rising rates of childhood overweight and obesity and the development of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other health complications.

In fact, conditions that were previously thought to affect older adults are now, more than ever, affecting our children. The effects of childhood overweight and obesity are far-reaching and not only impact the individual, but also families and society through workplace and school absenteeism, lost productivity, and increased healthcare costs.

JAMAICAN FOOD ENVIRONMENT

The National School Nutrition Policy has sought to ensure that Jamaican schoolchildren have access to safe, nutritious foods within the school environment through limiting the sale and promotion of ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks. This implementation is crucial in the fight against childhood overweight and obesity but does not remove the reality that many Jamaican families face where nutrition is concerned.

Our children are growing up in an environment where unhealthy food choices are convenient, heavily promoted, more affordable, and readily available. Sugary drinks, highly processed snacks, and fast foods continue to compete with nutritious meals, while screen time increasingly competes with outdoor play and physical activity.

It is acknowledged that for many parents, the issue is not a lack of concern over their child’s health but rather that the cost of healthier food options, busy work schedules, limited access to safe recreational spaces, and the convenience that readily available foods bring make healthy living difficult. Additionally, parents do not make decisions in isolation. Children are influenced by what they see advertised, by what their friends eat, what is sold at school, and what the household can afford. They do not independently decide what is served at home, what food is available for purchase at school, or whether their neighbourhood has a safe place for play. Their choices are shaped by the environments adults create around them. The bottom line: telling a child to “eat better” is difficult if the environment continually promotes the opposite.

SMALL STEPS CAN BEGIN AT HOME

Improving children’s nutrition does not require expensive, imported foods or complicated diets. Our traditional foods, adequately proportioned, can form part of a healthy, balanced diet. Ground provisions, rice and peas, vegetables, fish, and other locally available foods can all contribute to good nutrition when prepared and served thoughtfully.

Families can begin with small, manageable changes:

• Make water the default drink: keep water readily available; avoid making sugary drinks a part of everyday childhood.

• Improve the plate one meal at a time: encourage more fruits and vegetables by adding a serving of vegetables or fruit to a meal; half the plate should consist of vegetables, a quarter of protein, and the remaining quarter of carbohydrates/starches.

• Make healthier snacks easier: keep fruits available; choose more nutritious snacks (yoghurt, fruit, vegetables) often; reserve highly processed snacks for occasional rather than everyday consumption.

• Eat together as a family: this helps children develop healthier eating behaviours and provides an opportunity for parents to model healthy behaviour.

• Create screen-free meals: mealtimes should be intentional, devoid of the distraction that watching a screen while eating brings.

• Move more: make movement a part of everyday life; small changes can include family walks, dancing, playing outdoors, household chores, and taking the stairs.

Families can also involve children in planning meals, choosing produce, and preparing food. These small activities teach practical skills and help children understand that healthy eating can be enjoyable. Parents/caregivers must also lead by example.

TURN KNOWLEDGE INTO PRACTICE

Our schools can also improve childhood nutrition and contribute to the reduction in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity as they are powerful institutions, serving children across various communities and socioeconomic backgrounds. Nutrition education should be reinforced by the school environment, including reviewing the foods and beverages sold on the school compound, promoting access to safe drinking water, and making healthier options more accessible.

This also applies to school canteens, with care being given to portion sizes served. It is difficult to teach children about healthy eating if nutritious options are unavailable or unaffordable in the canteen.

Physical education and active play should also be protected within the schools as movement supports not only physical health but also concentration and emotional well-being. Schools can introduce active breaks, walking clubs, dance activities, and recreational games that welcome children of different abilities and fitness levels. An environment free from weight-related bullying and discrimination should be fostered such that children with overweight and obesity are not singled out but that a culture is created where each child is supported to thrive.

POLICYMAKERS CAN HELP

The role that families and schools play is crucial, but their efforts will be limited without supportive public policies. A coordinated approach that makes nutritious foods more affordable and accessible ought to be undertaken, with the strengthening of nutrition standards in schools and addressing the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages that are high in sugars, salt, and fats to children.

Families may be helped to make healthier food choices through the support of local agriculture and improved access to affordable fruits and vegetables. Clear nutrition labelling may also help consumers to understand what they are purchasing. Consideration should also be given to front-of-package labelling, as done in Canada and Latin America, with indications made if a food item contains excess sugar, salt, or fats. This measure would help parents to make healthier choices more easily.

Investment should also be made in safe sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, and community sporting facilities as children cannot be expected to spend more time outdoors if their neighbourhoods lack safe spaces to walk, run, and play.

Finally, the continued monitoring of nutrition, physical activity, and weight-related outcomes is essential. Survey findings are most valuable when they inform policies, guide interventions, and assess whether efforts are working.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

A family can replace one sugary drink with water, add a fruit or vegetable to a meal, or set aside time for an evening walk. A school can review its canteen offerings, introduce an additional active break, or ensure that water for drinking is readily accessible. A community can organise safe recreational activities, and policymakers can review existing school nutrition policies and strengthen their implementation.

Dr Moya Rhoe-Craigg is a consultant paediatrician at the University Hospital of the West Indies and a lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Send feedback to moya.rhoecraigg@uwi.edu.