ED-YOUTH-CATION

GROUP MEMBERS: Aaron Ali, Jeron Khanhai, Kelsey Maharaj, Meagan Mohammed, Vedesh Ragoonath, Brandon Ramroop, Ian Ramodhar

WHY ARE WE HERE?

¢ Our aim is to educate and promote with respect to healthy living and preventative measures for the prevalent non-communicable diseases in Trinidad and Tobago.

WHAT IS HEALTH?

¢ According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as “a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

WHAT IS A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?

¢ A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.

¢ This includes: Family traditions, Health education,

Likable occupation, Safe environment, Adequate nutrition, Physical fitness, Absence of bad habits or addiction, Personal hygiene, Love and tenderness, Positive social communication, enough sleep and rest and also include having time to enjoy other activities and hobbies

WHAT IS A NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASE?

¢ Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – not passed from person to person.

¢ Have a long duration and progresses slowly.

¢ The 4 main types of noncommunicable diseases are:

- Cardiovascular diseases - Cancers - Chronic respiratory diseases - Diabetes.

STATISTICS ¢ Trinidad & Tobago has the highest percentage of

obesity in the Caribbean! ¢ We are also ranked 5th among all countries

worldwide (2013) with 30% of our adult population obese. 30% of 1.3M is 390,000!

  ¢ That means something is wrong with the hearts

of our country! Cardiovascular deals with the cardiovascular system, which directly involves the heart and so we, as future leaders, need to fix it!

32%

14%

16%

11%

27%

CVDs

Diabetes Mellitus

Cancers

Injuries including RTAs

Other causes Including other non communicable diseases and infectious diseases

Leading causes of death in 2012 according to the WHO in 2012

¢ Research done in 2011 among children in Trinidad & Tobago yielded this shocking result:

¢ 25% of persons aged 5-18 is overweight or obese.

¢ There are several risk factors that can account for this, as well as general pre-dispositions like home and social environment

¢ What is obesity? ¢ Obesity is simply the abnormal or excessive

fat that may impair health. (WHO 2013) ¢ Here in Trinidad and Tobago 25% of

secondary school children are overweight (Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute)

¢ We are also the 5th most obese country in the world with 1st and 2nd being mexico and the USA respectively.

¢ Obesity decreases life expectancy and increases risk of health problems

¢ What causes obesity?

¢ Culture

¢ Occupation

¢ Activity

¢ Diet

¢ What are the risks of obesity?

¢ Cardiovascular disease ¢ Diabetes ¢ Cancer ¢ Reproductive problems ¢ Social Discrimation ¢ Low self esteem ¢ Increase in substance abuse

Physical activity reduces risk for 8 conditions According to the Centers for Disease Control:-

¢ Heart disease ¢ Stroke ¢ High blood pressure ¢ Type 2 diabetes ¢ Obesity ¢ Depression ¢ Breast and colon cancer ¢ Osteoporosis

¢ The importance of Physical fitness cannot be emphasized enough.

¢  Fitness and healthy lifestyles should not be periodical like for Carnival or July-August vacation but year round.

¢ Staying active means keeping your body functioning at a high level. Regular exercise will maintain the performance of your lungs and heart to most efficiently burn off excess calories and keep your weight under control.

¢ Physical activity is essential to prevent and reduce risks of many diseases and improve physical and mental health.  

¢ Exercising does not have to be something boring and dreaded. It can be something that you enjoy that helps to increase the overall happiness in your life, as well as relieve symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety.

¢ Physical activity also keeps you in shape so you can enjoy leisurely activities and safely perform all other daily activities

¢ It offers great mental and social benefits as well.

¢ It’s no surprise that the more you help your body, the more you help your mind.

¢ Physical activity increases the flow of oxygen to your brain and increases the amount of endorphins (the feel-good chemicals) in the brain. For this reason, it’s not surprising that people who are in good physical shape also tend to enjoy a higher level of mental agility.