... Effective change must come from the top – Edwards

JAE EDWARDS of Spry Training Fitness believes that effective change must come from the top and congratulated Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton for the Jamaica Moves initiative. He and his teammate, Dwayne Fields, are on a mission to kayak around Jamaica to bring awareness to the dangers of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

“I have visited Copenhagen, Denmark, where the bicycle is the most common mode of transport. Everyone there is lean. These people ride bicycles everywhere they go. It’s the same in Germany. It’s all about the mindset. Those countries didn’t just become like this overnight, though. It took a conscious decision and a plan. I am hoping that Jamaica gets there fast,” stated Edwards.

VITAL FOR CHANGE

Fields, a Jamaican, and the first black man to walk to the North Pole, said that it is vital that the country sees what is happening and makes the necessary change.

“People back in my grandmother’s time were living longer. Something has shifted, and it’s all down to what we consume and how much of it we take in without exercising. Jamaica needs to start moving. It is essential because the country cannot fathom the amount of money it will cost in the future to deal with lifestyle diseases in our hospitals,” stated Fields.

It is estimated that it will cost Jamaica approximately $77 billion over the next 15 years to treat people suffering from cardiovascular-related diseases and diabetes, two of the most common forms of lifestyle diseases affecting Jamaicans.