The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

MISS World Bahamas Brinique Gibson launched her 'Eat Wise, Exercise, Stay Alive' campaign competition yesterday at Uriah McPhee Primary School to fight against childhood obesity.

There are about 450 students from Claridge Primary, Sade Curtis, Columbus Primary and Uriah McPhee who will be participating in the competition.

The beauty queen chose to initiate her competition in the schools because, she said, "Children are like sponges. They soak up everything they hear and see. If we can teach them at an early age how to eat wisely and exercise and stay alive, then they can influence their parents to make better choices, and they themselves will become healthier adults."

The aim of the challenge is to establish school wellness policies by improving the food and beverages available in schools, educating the students about the importance of having good eating habits, and exercising.

Ms Gibson said: "Studies show that exercise and academics go hand and hand so by promoting all of these things together we can encourage the students to do better academically as well as to live longer productive lives and reduce our statistics of child obesity.

"It is my hope at the end of the challenge students would participate more with physical activity as well as focus more on what they are intaking."

The selected primary schools will have four weeks to make as many healthy changes as they can within their schools to be eligible to win one of four monetary awards.

"My team and I came up with a grading scale and they get points based on the schools making changes to their campus and transforming it into a healthy environment," the beauty queen said. "Some teachers may want to have a water day or incorporate physical activity into their lesson plan."

The first-place winner will receive the gold award of distinction and $1,500, second place winner will receive the gold award and $1,000, the third-place winner will receive the silver award and $800, and fourth place entrant will receive the bronze award and $500.

The wife of the prime minister, Mrs Patricia Minnis, attended to show her support for the beauty queen's healthy eating initiative. She emphasised the importance of having good eating habits.

Mrs Minnis said: "Healthy children become healthy adults. I have a personal interest in this because my grandfather died from high blood pressure, my mother, and brother died at a very young age, so I'm committed that we need to make the nation healthy starting with the children.

"(They) will go home and encourage their parents, also part of my passion is working with young women, girls and adolescents living a healthy lifestyle."