Obesity up sharply among primary students in Trinidad and Tobago

Last Updated on Monday, 17 November 2014, 22:22 by GxMedia

San Juan, Nov 17 (EFE).- The proportion of Trinidad and Tobago primary school students who are obese or overweight has doubled in the past decade, Health Minister Fuad Khan said Monday.

The ministry collected data on the body mass index of 5,305 students in 27 primary and 14 secondary schools.

The study revealed that 24 percent of children between ages of 5 and 8 were obese or overweight, while only 14 percent were classes as thin.

A similar survey conducted in 1999 found that 11 percent of primary students were obese or overweight, Khan noted, attributing the increase to a change in patterns of food consumption.

Acknowledging his own addiction to bread, the minister said he has lost 29 pounds to be an “example for the nation’s youth.”