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Saturday 12 February 2022 LOCAL
A10

Pediatrician: 'Aruban politics can tackle childhood obesity with Jump 18'

By Melissa Stamper last year to start a preven- continue with the program.
Caribisch Netwerk tion program. Together For Celine, the program is
ORANJESTAD – How do you with Aruban profession- also a fun way to exercise
tackle obesity and over- als, he tries to tackle child- with other children.
weight? It would help if the hood obesity. “You cannot
Aruban government invests solve the obesity problem Maurella Ras also says that
in the pilot program against with just a weight loss pro- she has seen a difference
overweight and obesity gram. The problem is more since her daughter Xadah
'Jump 18', says pediatrician complicated than just un- signed up for the program.
Jamiu Busari. “The problem healthy eating habits or The whole family now looks
is more complicated than me it is very important to at food and the amount of
just unhealthy eating hab- use the Aruban strength food differently.
its.” and knowledge", he says.
There are several reasons Waiting list
Busari has been working why many people in Aruba The project will run until
at the hospital in Aruba for are overweight. According problem surrounding over- to Jump 18. Based on the May and a total of eigh-
two years. This doctor also to the experts, it has to do weight is also mainly related data from CBS (2020), a teen children are now tak-
noticed that almost all chil- with upbringing and cultur- to the Aruban culture, says reduction of one percent ing part. There is already a
dren who came to a con- al patterns, but social and GP Danka Stuijver. Unjusti- would already save 205,424 waiting list for the next reg-
sultation with health prob- economic factors also play fied, says former journalist florins. At five percent, that istration.
lems were overweight or a major role. Ariën Rasmijn, among oth- is 1,027,119 florins and with
obese. Behind the Jump 18 ers. “Healthy food on the ten percent, more than Child obesity in Aruba
project is a multidisciplinary Obesity: a culture prob- island is not only expensive, 2 million (2,054,238) florins It has been known for years
team, which also consists of lem? but also scarce. Ironically, can be saved. that obesity is the main
Aruban professionals. They “If you drive around the fast food is also expensive," public health problem af-
give programs about nutri- island you will see a lot of he writes. Project man- ‘Better insights for the chil- fecting children and ado-
tion and exercise, and they fast food chains thanks to ager Amy van der Linden dren themselves’ lescents in Aruba. For ex-
also conduct scientific re- tourism, but locals also eat is convinced that money Celine's (10) mother, Julis- ample, from a report by
search. For example, they there. You see large traf- can be saved if the Aruban sa Henriquez, sees good Unicef from 2013. The fig-
look at how healthy the fic jams on Friday evening government participates results for her daughter. ures from the health moni-
canteens of the schools in at Wendy's, that too falls in their project. If fewer “I think the government tor of the same year also
Aruba are. Among the chil- under the culture patterns. people are overweight or should welcome the pro- show that in 2010, 25.6
dren who participate in the These are all issues that obese, Aruba will have to gram with open arms. This percent of girls and 17.8
program, the experts look make it difficult for a parent spend less money on treat- will soon be profitable, percent of boys in kinder-
at the blood values and to change,” says Busari. ing chronic diseases such because these children garten were overweight or
physical changes. as diabetes, hypertension continue in life with better obese. Among fifth-graders
Last week a column was or cardiovascular disease. insight. That's really impor- in elementary school, 43
Local approach is impor- published in the Volkskrant Last year, the team calcu- tant." The social aspects percent of girls and 32.4
tant that led to a lot of criti- lated an indication of the of the program are also percent of boys were over-
Busari took the initiative cism among Arubans. The annual cost savings thanks an important inspiration to weight or obese.q

IWC Schaffhausen new pilot watches touch down in Aruba

Swiss manufacturer IWC
Schaffhausen and Shivas
Gold and Gems hosted a
cocktail on the rooftop of
the Radisson Blue present-
ing its latest novelties.

Guests were also able to
experience an exclusive
watchmaking master class
hosted by the brand’s
watchmaker, Tryggvi Sigur-
bjornsson.

IWC exhibited its new Big
Pilot’s Watch 43 and Pi-
lot’s Watch Chronograph
41 exclusively available at
Shivas Jewelers Downtown
and Palm Beach Plaza
stores.

From left to right: Diego
Barona, Andrea Schell-
moser, Ricardo Wever,
Marleen Llanes.q