Six-Month Campaign to Tackle Childhood Overweight and Obesity

A series of activities will roll out over the next six months, beginning September 30, aimed at mobilising national action to address childhood overweight and obesity.

The move is part of an initiative dubbed ‘Weight a Bit…Turning the Tide on Childhood Obesity in Jamaica’, organised by the Paediatric Association of Jamaica in collaboration with the Heart Foundation of Jamaica.

The objective is to strengthen multisectoral collaboration to prevent and manage childhood overweight and obesity through coordinated policy action, public education, school and community engagement, and improved access to prevention and treatment. It will rally a broad coalition drawn from health, education, agriculture, youth, academia, professional organisations, parent and teacher groups, civil society, community organisations, development partners and responsible private-sector stakeholders, with children, adolescents, families, teachers and healthcare workers as the central participants.

Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, President of the Paediatric Association of Jamaica, Dr. Ludrick Morris, said that the six months of activities, from September 2026 to March 2027, ultimately seek to create greater awareness and empower families and communities to make healthier choices.

The observance of World Obesity Month in September and World Obesity Day on March 4, 2027 will serve as a platform to rally stakeholders around a coordinated response to childhood overweight and obesity and to strengthen action across the environments in which Jamaican children live, learn, play and grow.

Activities get under way with a launch on Wednesday (September 30), where participating partners will commit to a joint declaration for the implementation of relevant policies, as well as other measures to address childhood overweight and obesity.

The launch will be followed by broader societal engagement involving schools, parent-teacher associations and communities through media activities and school-based competitions designed to encourage children to become active participants in the initiative.

The Weight a Bit initiative will culminate with a weekend of activities from March 12 to 14, 2027. The programme will begin on March 12 with workshops for parents and teachers, as well as healthcare workers.

On March 13, there will be a scientific conference aimed at strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers to identify, diagnose, treat and manage childhood overweight and obesity.

Dr. Morris said the conference will focus on “the sharing of information empowering healthcare workers to identify, diagnose, treat and manage childhood overweight and obesity”.

The day will end with an awards ceremony and banquet.

The weekend of events will conclude on March 14 with a 5K walk/run and a wellness village, which will provide families, parents and children with practical information on healthy eating, physical activity and the importance of adequate sleep.