The Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) says it is important that the Government strictly enforces its sugary drinks in school policy, given alarming statistics about childhood overweight and obesity levels in Jamaica.

According to reports from the World Health Organisation last year, approximately 36 per cent, or almost one in every four Jamaican child between 13 and 15 are overweight or obese, which means they are at an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

In 2019, the Ministry of Health prohibited sugar-sweetened beverages with a total sugar concentration exceeding a maximum of six grams of sugar per 100 millilitres (ml), from being sold or served in schools.

However, reports from Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton late last year indicated that during a survey of 35 schools by the health and education ministries, most were found to be non-compliant with the guidelines.

While providing an update on the programme, Tufton told Our Today that “the restrictions continue and the enforcement continues. The compliance levels are mixed. Some are complying, others may not be, but the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education are working together to try and address that.”

While he could not provide updated figures on the levels of compliance with the policy, he shared that the ministry is currently conducting inspections of schools islandwide. However, there have been no decision to sanction schools that fail to comply.

The HFJ is a strong advocate for the implementation of the policy, insisting that the move is critical as schools are meant to provide a healthy environment for children’s minds and bodies.

While speaking with Our Today Karlene Morris Cooke, communications officer at the HFJ, pointed out that more than two-thirds of Jamaican teens ages 13-17 consume carbonated soft drinks one or more times per day, increasing their likelihood of being overweight by 55 per cent.

“Children spend many hours at school and eat a large portion of their meals there. Schools are also an important source of food via school meal programs, particularly for low-income children. Providing and promoting unhealthy foods within and around schools contributes to poor nutrition and childhood obesity,” said Morris Cooke.

How can sugary drinks affect health?

High sugary drinks have excess calories that are a significant contributor to the global rise in obesity and diabetes, explained Morris Cooke.

She further noted that obesity can also increase mental health problems in children, including their risk of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, peer bullying, eating disorders, and poor school performance.

“It is easy for us to overindulge in added sugars as they are usually found in high amounts in most commercially prepared processed and ultra‐processed foods such as flavoured yogurts, cereals, bread, cookies, cakes, energy drinks, soft drinks, flavoured milk, and fruit drinks. Often times we also assume that beverages such as fruit drinks, energy drinks, and flavoured waters have much the same health benefits as drinking still, sparkling, or ordinary tap water. But for a fact, even these are packed with added sugars. Because of this, we end up eating way more sugar than our bodies require,” she shared.

The American Heart Association recommends that adults should aim to have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes or 7 teaspoons). Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes or 6 teaspoons).