Affordability challenges don’t deter moms from nurturing healthy lifestyle for children
IN ENCOURAGING healthy lifestyle choices for their children, mothers including Irone Williams, Sandria Thompson, and Kavel Moore last week shared how they overcome the challenges they face.
Williams, a mother of five, said a healthy diet and physical activity are extremely important for her children.
“You have to eat healthily and drink lots of water,” she said.
Williams emphasised the importance of instilling a healthy lifestyle into children from an early age, but acknowledges the financial constraints of buying fruits and vegetables. To tackle this, she buys produce on the weekends when the prices are lower. Recognising that other mothers face the same struggle as well. Williams encourages parents with financial problems to sell goods in downtown Kingston, to support their children’s nutritional needs.
In the meantime, Moore shared a cost-effective approach by buying seasonal fruits in bulk to make eating healthily affordable. Moore, conscious of the potential health risks in children at an early age, encourages her children to have a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and plenty of water. She makes it a habit to prepare fruits for her children, making it a more accessible and appealing choice over snacks.
Another resolute mother, Thompson, echoes Williams’ sentiment by emphasising the importance of raising children on a healthy diet from an early age.
EARLY START
“Start your child off right from early and they will just fall into place after a while,”Thompson said.
She limits her child’s starch and sugar intake by giving him more fruit drinks and lots of water. She said raising children on an unhealthy diet creates long-term issues and makes it harder to break the habit.
The ongoing effort to promote a healthier Jamaica, the Jamaica Moves programme in schools, has gained significant exposure and has been embraced by many schools. Public Health Education Officer Zoe Wellington said physical activity, healthy eating, and understanding adequate health practices are important for children. She stood as a Jamaica Moves representative at the ‘Know Your Numbers’ screening campaign held last Thursday in downtown Kingston.
One of the highlights of the initiative is the National School Moves Day, which is designated for every last Friday in April. Schools across the island are encouraged to participate enthusiastically in this event by involving parents, teachers, and students to make everyone aware of this national event.
“The Ministry of Education is fully on board, urging more schools to join the programme. Schools are reaching out to us to set up the programme, and we are excited about the positive response,” Wellington said.
Parents like Williams, Thompson, and Moore are crucial to the success of the Jamaica Moves programme.
Williams has celebrated an improvement in her son’s health, due to a healthy diet, while Thompson’s child embraces a nutritious lifestyle and Moore’s children stay active through football and dance.
With World Cancer Day recognised yesterday, the Jamaica Moves programme continues to encourage awareness, emphasising the importance of a healthy lifestyle in preventing various health issues such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer at an early age.
With Wellington hoping individuals can become more sensitised to cancer-related issues in order to foster a healthier lifestyle, the collective efforts of parents, teachers, and health officials are gradually paving the way for a healthier Jamaica.