Across the globe, there is an increasing trend in overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years. According to estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 340 million or almost 18 per cent of this age group were overweight or obese in 2016, compared to four per cent in 1975.

Childhood obesity is a growing concern for children worldwide, but in Trinidad and Tobago the statistics are so alarming that some are calling it an epidemic that requires the full support of schools, communities, families and the children themselves to tackle it. Research done in different areas of the country revealed that one in four children are overweight in the county of St George, and one in three in South Trinidad. With this data in mind, the Ministry of Health stated in 2014 that