A dinner fit for a champion
NOW THAT the steps have been counted and the hotly contested Jamaica Moves ‘Get Moving’ Challenge is a thing of the past, the Ministry of Health, led by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, wined and dined challengers recently at a dinner sponsored by The Spanish Court Hotel and prepared by Chef Damion Latty.
It was an opportunity for the challengers to come together and reflect on the hundreds of thousands of steps taken over the four-week challenge. The participants shared some lessons they felt were important to bear in mind as the Ministry of Health takes the Jamaica Moves programme islandwide.
Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert said that Jamaica is in need of a strong public education platform for noncommunicable diseases.
“The cause of these non-communicable diseases (NCDs), diabetes in particular, is as a result of the large consumption of starch by Jamaicans on a daily basis as well as the limited intake of water,” the South Trelawny MP lamented.
Dr Tufton said that Jamaica Moves is fully inclusive. The ministry is ramping up efforts to involve all Jamaicans, ensuring they are knowledgeable about NCDs and the country’s coordinated national response – Jamaica Moves.
The evening ended with the awarding of personalised caricatures to participants who amassed over 200,000 steps during the challenge. The top-five winners will also receive a weekend getaway at Melia Braco Village in Trelawny. They are Tiffany Wong, Krystal Tomlinson, Dr Christopher Tufton, Julian Robinson, and The Gleaner’s Lifestyle Editor, Nashauna Lalah.
Jamaica Moves will branch out to corporate companies and communities in July through its Corporate Challenge and all-island tours. The first set of allisland tours will be held in St Ann on July 13; Trelawny on July 26; and St James on July 31.
The Corporate Challenge, to be launched this month, will target privateand public-sector companies through a friendly performance-based competition. The challenge will be done using the Running Events calendar, where companies will enter 5K races over a five-month period (July-December 2017).
Through education, engagement and the building of supportive environments, the programme hopes to reduce NCDs by 25 per cent by the year 2025. For more information, visit www.jamaicamoves.com.