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Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. March 7, 2025. In the Caribbean region, one in every three children is overweight or obese. In 2022, the estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults in the Region of the Americas was 67.5% (an increase of 52% from 1990), of which 33.8% (36.5% in women and 31.0% in men) were obese.

Obesity significantly increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), namely cardiovascular diseases (like heart disease and stroke), diabetes mellitus, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases (like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma). NCDs are the leading cause of illness, death and disability in the Caribbean region. Obese children are more likely to become obese adults and are at a higher risk of developing NCDs in adulthood.

Often, people with obesity are shamed because many do not fully understand the root causes of obesity. These causes are a complex mixture of genetic, lifestyle, psychological, sociocultural, economic and environmental factors. As such, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) advocates for systemic changes to halt the rise in rates of obesity within the Region, by calling on policymakers, employers and the media to consider how their actions can contribute positively towards this serious health challenge.

Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director, CARPHA explained one way in which CARPHA supports its Member States in addressing childhood obesity. She stated, “In 2017, CARPHA instituted the Six Point Policy Package (6-PPP), a regional framework to promote healthier food environments and food security through joint policy action. It contains a set of feasible, cost-effective policy recommendations to tackle obesogenic environments combined with sustained consumer education”. According to Dr Indar, the implementation of the 6-PPP is monitored and coordinated by an Inter-Agency Technical Committee (ITC) comprising sixteen CARICOM institutions and other agencies with responsibility for the economic and social sectors in the Region.

In light of this, World Obesity Day is a day of unified action that promotes a cohesive, multi-sector response to the obesity epidemic. Commemorated on March 4^th each year, World Obesity Day encourages practical solutions to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, undertake proper treatment, and reverse the obesity crisis.

This year’s theme “Changing Systems, Healthier Lives: Let’s put a spotlight on the systems—not people— that need to change”, focusses on the systems that shape health. Traditionally, obesity response has focused on individuals, but this year’s theme calls for systemic change – healthcare, government policies, food environments, media and workplaces.

Dr.  Heather  Armstrong,  Head,  Chronic  Diseases  and  Injury  at  CARPHA  pointed  out, “There must be a comprehensive approach across food and health systems, environments and in the wider society to reduce obesity rates successfully within the Region. Availability, accessibility (economic) and sustainability of safe healthy foods, and safe easily accessible spaces for physical activity/exercise to combat obesity, require the implementation and regulation of policies and legislation at all levels of society – healthcare, community, workplaces, government, food environments and media”.