THE media have a critical role to play in wrestling the challenge of childhood obesity to the ground.
Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Public Affairs, Senator Lucille Moe, suggested the above as she delivered remarks at a Childhood Obesity Prevention Media Managers Orientation Event held by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB) this week, at the Hilton Hotel.
“Children are bombarded with all kinds of messages and promotions, especially with the advent of social media, and so while the means for reaching them has expanded, the competition for their attention and interest has also increased. This makes it even more important that the promotion and broadcasting of Childhood Obesity and Healthy Lifestyles be put in the hands of experts,” Moe stated.
“Information can be packaged, plans and messages can be created, but they must be disseminated and publicised and that process has to be managed. Media workers understand communication; they are trained and experienced in reaching target audiences and in creating communications that are pitched to the constituencies that they are intended to reach. They understand how language should be crafted to resonate with different groups in society. The media [have] the power to set agendas, that is, to influence what people are concerned about and to frame issues. Media professionals understand what our response should be,” she stressed.
Acknowledging the public’s thirst for knowledge and information about health, Senator Moe noted that media managers and decision-makers have sought to devote time and space to matters of health, through radio and television programmes and special publications and columns, well aware that these will generate interest and attract a following.
They often utilise health professionals as their resource persons and provide timely and useful advice on a range of subjects, she said.
“The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with my Ministry, through the Government Information Service (GIS), would have created public service announcements over the years on strokes, heart attacks and healthy eating. The Ministry of Health is also currently preparing guidelines on front-of-package labelling, about which the GIS and the media can help to build awareness and to sensitise the children especially, as to the significance of this type of labelling to their choice of food,” she further stated.
On a matter of such importance, Minister Moe meanwhile stated that she can give the assurance that the information and broadcasting agencies falling under her Ministry’s purview, which are the GIS and the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), will continue to play their role in wrestling the challenge of childhood obesity to the ground.
“We need total buy-in from all sectors, Government, civil society and private sector, if we are to realise the objective of reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity by five per cent by the end of this year 2019. Therefore, not only the public sector media agencies, but the private sector media houses must embrace this as their commitment too and I am confident that they do,” she said.
“With this commitment from all stakeholders and the steadfast support and guidance from the Heart and Stroke Foundation as evidenced in this media training activity that you are hosting, Barbados can be optimistic that, while not underestimating the implications of this epidemic, we will be able to defeat it,” Senator Moe asserted. (RSM)