In recognition of World Obesity Day, we hosted a 90-minute webinar on one of the most pressing public health challenges facing the Caribbean today, obesity.
Designed for NGOs, policymakers and members of the public, the session explored how lifestyle approaches, medical interventions and evidence-based policy action can work together to reduce obesity and improve population health.
With obesity rates rising across the region, and in Saint Kitts and Nevis, where nearly half of adults are affected, the need for urgent action is clear.
Why Focus on Obesity in the Caribbean?
The Caribbean is facing a significant burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, many of which are closely linked to obesity.
Obesity is not simply about individual choices. As our webinar highlighted, it is deeply influenced by our environment, food systems, economic realities and policies.
Over time, Caribbean societies, like many around the world, shifted from historical food scarcity to an abundance of ultra-processed, energy-dense foods. These foods are often more accessible, affordable and heavily marketed than healthier options, shaping dietary patterns from a young age.
At the same time, opportunities for physical activity have declined due to changes in transport, work and community design. All these factors create an environment that makes healthy choices more difficult and unhealthy ones far easier.
Reframing Obesity: Insights from Dr Al Pierre
Al Pierre, Founder of GoDocta and Urgent Care SKN, opened the webinar with a powerful call to rethink how we understand obesity. He encouraged participants to view obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease, rather than a simple result of willpower or personal failure. This shift is critical in reducing stigma and improving how individuals are supported within healthcare systems.
Dr Pierre also explored the biological drivers of obesity, including the roles of hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, which regulate hunger and satiety. These mechanisms can make weight management complex and challenging, reinforcing the need for compassionate, evidence-based care.
Importantly, he addressed the growing interest in medication for obesity management, noting that while medications can be helpful for some individuals, they are not a miracle solution. Instead, they should be used as part of a broader, well-supported care plan.
Dr Pierre emphasised that tackling obesity effectively requires coordinated, system-wide action, including:
- Prevention by design – creating environments that support healthy choices
- Early detection and intervention
- Evidence-based clinical care
- Safe and effective medication governance
- Workforce and health system strengthening
- Stigma reduction and responsible public messaging
Crucially, he highlighted that these efforts must be underpinned by strong, evidence-based policies, such as:
- School nutrition standards
- Front-of-package warning labels
- Marketing restrictions to protect children
- Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), with revenue reinvested into health
Bringing Policy to Life: Danielle Walwyn’s Story of Eden
Building on this foundation, Danielle Walwyn from the Healthy Caribbean Coalition brought a uniquely engaging perspective to the discussion.
Through the story of a fictional six-year-old named Eden, Danielle illustrated how policy decisions shape a child’s daily environment, from the foods available at school to the advertising they are exposed to and the spaces available for physical activity.
Her presentation highlighted key evidence-based policy actions needed across the Caribbean, including:
- Front-of-package warning labels to help consumers make informed choices
- Healthy school food environments, supported by nutrition standards
- Fiscal policies, such as taxes on sugary drinks and subsidies for healthier foods
- Physical activity policies, focusing on:
- Active environments
- Active societies
- Active people
- Active systems
Danielle also provided updates on policy implementation across the region, sharing encouraging examples of progress while acknowledging that many countries are still in the early stages. Danielle recognised that challenges and barriers do exist, such as competing priorities and industry influence, but they are not insurmountable.
Danielle concluded with an important message: the region must move beyond policy development to implementation, enforcement and sustained monitoring.
A Call to Action
A key takeaway from the webinar is that no single solution will solve obesity.
Instead, progress depends on aligning efforts across:
- Individuals and communities
- Healthcare systems
- Governments and policymakers
- Civil society organisations
By combining education, clinical care and strong policy action, we can begin to create healthier environments and reduce the burden of obesity across the Caribbean.
Through these conversations and pushing for meaningful action, we can build a healthier future for the Caribbean, one where the healthy choice becomes the easy choice.
Useful Resources
Resources and campaigns mentioned in the webinar include:
- ‘Now More Than Ever’ regional campaign on front-of-package warning labels: https://www.healthycaribbean.org/now-more-than-ever-regional-campaign-promoting-front-of-package-warning-labelling/
- WHO Technical Plan Package to Stop Obesity: https://www.knowledge-action-portal.com/en/content/who-technical-package-stop-obesity-how-approach-obesity-pandemic-response
- WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240075634
- Webinar: Global Updates on Front-of-Package Warning Labels: https://www.healthycaribbean.org/webinar-global-updates-on-front-of-package-warning-labelling/
- CARPHA Nutrition Standards for Schools: https://caricom.org/carpha-publishes-new-nutrition-standards-guidance-for-caribbean-schools/
- ACTIVE: A technical package for increasing physical activity: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241514804
- Obesity factsheet: https://www.worldobesityday.org/assets/downloads/Factsheet_-_English_1.pdf
- Policies and interventions to create healthy school food environments: WHO guideline – PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization
You can watch the recording of this current webinar here: https://youtu.be/bHQT25OZCy0
If you’d like to learn more about obesity prevention and policy action in the Caribbean and globally, the following organisations are a great place to start:
- World Obesity Day
https://www.worldobesityday.org - Healthy Caribbean Coalition
https://www.healthycaribbean.org - Caribbean Public Health Agency
https://carpha.org - Pan American Health Organization
https://www.paho.org
These organisations provide valuable guidance on:
- Obesity prevention and management
- Healthy food policies (including labelling, school nutrition and SSB taxation)
- Physical activity strategies and active living
- Regional data, research and best practices
You Can Support This Work
If you found this overview of our work helpful, please consider supporting our small NGO so we can continue delivering health education, advocacy initiatives and community projects. Your donation, no matter the size, helps us make a lasting impact. Thank you so much!
.
We would love to hear from you
Thank you for visiting our website. We value your feedback and would be very grateful if you could share your thoughts on the article you read and any supporting information that was presented. This will help us improve our website content. You can complete a short 3-question survey here
