Nation Publishing Co. Limited

Healthy Lifestyle Initiative

March 6, 2009

*Based on information from the Systematic Survey on Newspaper Readership Nov ember 2005

Healthy Lifestyle Project

• Response to an increase in chronic/non-communicable diseases in Barbados

• Increase in obesity among Barbadians

• Transform the way Barbadians looked after themselves

Components of Healthy Lifestyle Project

• Healthy Lifestyle Extravaganza

• Movement Fest

• Primary Schools’ Fitness Club

Healthy Lifestyle Extravaganza - 1996

• Free health fair- health products & Literature

• Free tests and health checks

• Lecture discussions/demonstrations

• Aerobics

Healthy Lifestyle Extravaganza

Extravaganza cont’d

• Do it for you - 1996• My health. My Responsibility - 1997• Let’s dump bad habits - 1998• It’s everything - 1999• New beginnings - 2000• Food- one swallow does matter - 2001• Enjoy and celebrate - 2002• A natural lifestyle - 2003• Keep fit, be a hit - 2005

Healthy Lifestyle Extravaganza

Movement Fest - 2004

• World Health Organisation challenge to host a ‘move for health’ day

• Free to the public

• Features sporting and leisure activities that promote movement

Movement Fest

• Let’s Get Physical - 2004, 2006

Garrison Savannah

• Let’s Get Phy- sea-cal! - 2007Brandon’s Beach

Movement Fest

Travelling Aerobics

Primary School Fitness Project - 2004

• Encourage healthy living to primary school youth

• Fun and informative activities - exercises, lectures, counseling, hikes, educational tours, beach events

• Sponsors: Ministry of Health, PAHO • Provision of equipment to schools• Tracking of eat habits, exercise – Health

and Fitness Journal

Nation’s Fun Walk - 1988

• Largest walking event in Barbados

• Anniversary celebration of the Nation - November 23

• More than 10,000 persons participate

• Family oriented

Nation’s Fun Walk

Nation’s Fun Ride - 1990

• The largest of its kind in Barbados

• Raises substantial funds for many charitable organisations

• Fun - transformation of ordinary bikes into state-of-the-art pieces

• Family oriented

Nation’s Fun Ride

Evaluation: preliminary, quantitative or qualitative

Key findings of the Healthy Lifestyle Extravaganza Evaluation 2008.

• 72% who attended previous fairs – made positive changes to lifestyle

• 34% - reported an unequivocal yes that the change was as a result of the fair

Evaluation cont’d

• Ongoing evaluation of both Fun Ride and Fun Walk

• Introduction of journal – Primary School fitness project

• Evaluation form of students – measurements at start and end of programme

Thank You