Cayman Islands Heart Smart Week 2014 started on Thursday (20) with a cardiac Symposium at St Matthew’s University, School of Medicine, Leeward Building 3, Hippocrates Hall.

Other events are:

5th Annual Learn & Live Red Dress Affair and Women’s Heart Care Expo

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014

5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

TICKETS

$75 per person & Corporate tables of 10 for $700

TOPIC

Globesity: Fat’s New Frontier

A 21st Century Supermum’s Challenge!

SPEAKER

Dr. Ana M. Viamonte Ros

Director of Medical Staff Development

Baptist Health International

Former Secretary of Health and

Surgeon General of the State of Florida

Download the Flyer as a PDF

Heart Health Fair

Saturday March 22, 2014

ARTS & RECREATION CENTRE

CAMANA BAY

8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Know Your Numbers!!

Free Cardiac Risk Screenings for Adults & Children on: Blood Pressure, BMI (Body Mass Index), Blood Glucose & Cholesterol & Waist Circumference Please do NOT eat or drink 10 hours prior to the test (except blood pressure medicine).

ACTIVITIES AND FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!

Get active kids zone for children sponsored by rotary sunrise & chf including zumba dancing, karate and much more!

Presentations by international and local medical specialists

Heart healthy local produce by market on the ground & cardiac protective

Healthy snacks

Related story:

WHO says childhood obesity one of most serious public health challenges

The World Health Organization has categorised childhood overweight and obesity as one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21^st century, with a prevalence that has increased substantially in the last 30 years.

Once described as the leading childhood health issue in developed nations, obesity is now on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings, with the highest levels among those most disadvantaged.

In developed countries, there is a significant trend observed between obesity and lower socioeconomic status, while in some developing countries the contrary is found, with children from relatively affluent families more vulnerable to obesity. Studies indicate that more than 30 million overweight children are living in developing countries and 10 million in developed countries.

Emerging from an imbalance in energy input and output and a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral, environmental, economic and cultural factors, overweight and obesity are connected to multiple physical, social and psychological sequelae, including increased risk of cardiovascular dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, and complications in various organ systems.

Socially and psychologically, overweight and obese children experience more negative emotions such as sadness, loneliness and nervousness, and low self-esteem triggered by undesirable stereotyping.

International health authorities agree that the short- and long-term effects of obesity are grave, demanding focused effort and rigorous action to prevent and treat the conditions and, more importantly, the underlying determinants propelling their prevalence. Local health governances in many countries are working on generating evidence-based and population-specific healthy eating and physical activity guidelines, promoting both as the cornerstone for obesity prevention, and population-wide policies and initiatives on food marketing and transparency.

The Cayman Islands has made concerted efforts to address this epidemic at the local level. The Children’s Health Taskforce program, a private-public partnership launched in 2009, is Cayman’s response to help schools develop policies related to physical education, opportunities for physical activity during the school day, school meals and nutrition within the school, as well as to promote and support healthy lifestyles for all children, in and outside school.

In 2013, World Fit, with a simple yet influential mission to “promote a culture of health and fitness for children [and] … eradicate childhood obesity and reduce the enormous toll obesity has taken on families, society, and healthcare systems,” launched its first program in Cayman with four schools. Primary school children logged how far they walked each day over six weeks with the idea that six weeks of sustained exercise would be enough time to form a habit.

The most recent data gathered through Cayman’s School Entry Screening test show an increase of obese children (4-6 years old) from 13.7 percent in 2011/12 to 17.4 percent in 2012/13, a fact that demands continued attention and action of the government, institutional leadership, parents and children.

Dr. Ana M. Viamonte Ros, director of medical staff development at Baptist Health International and associate dean at the Department of Humanities, Health and Society at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, is the guest speaker at the Learn and Live Red Dress Affair at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman on Friday, March 21.