Health Minister Encourages Jamaicans to Get Involved in Physical Activity
By: , April 24, 2017The Key Point:
Photo: Rudranath Fraser
In this file photo, Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left), leads a mini march outside Gordon House, downtown Kingston, in June 2016, to promote the Government’s ‘Jamaica Moves’ (#JaMoves) national campaign.The Facts
- “Healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use, are ways to prevent or delay the onset of NCDs. NCDs can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with diet, physical activity, medication, regular screening and treatment for complications,” the Health Minister informed.
The Full Story
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says persons who are engaged in some form of physical activity are less likely to be susceptible to non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Dr. Tufton stated that evidence shows that physical inactivity increases the risk of many adverse health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), breast cancer and colon cancer.
“Healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use are ways to prevent or delay the onset of NCDs. NCDs can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with diet, physical activity, medication, regular screening and treatment for complications,” the Health Minister informed.
Dr. Tufton was addressing a University Diabetes Outreach Conference held at the Jewel Resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, on April 21.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister said to address the issue of NCDs, the Ministry has developed a National Strategic and Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases for the period 2013 to 2018.
“The National Goal is to reduce premature mortality due to NCDs including diabetes by 25 per cent by 2025. The National target is to reduce by 5 per cent the prevalence of obesity and diabetes by 2018,” Dr. Tufton said.
The key strategies, Dr. Tufton added, will include: promotion of physical activity and healthy diet in the workplace, schools and community; integration of physical activity and healthy eating into primary care services; and addressing the obesogenic environment by engaging people from all sectors.
“The Ministry of Health’s most recent initiative to encourage physical activity is our ‘Jamaica Moves’ campaign that was launched on World Health Day, April 7. This campaign is a call to action to all Jamaicans to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily and as such increase their lifespan to experience more memories with family and friends. Jamaica Moves intends to re-energise physical activity among Jamaicans across all demographics,” Dr. Tufton stated.