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To’ren Healthcare Consultancy (THC) will be hosting its second Summer Weight Loss Camp from July 8 to August 16 at St. Anthony’s College, Morne Coco Rd, Diego Martin. THC CEO and Principal Consultant Leah Lewis said she is encouraged by the success of last year’s camp and looks forward to implementing the lessons learned in the upcoming session.

She said the camp was undoubtedly a success, and the following results were achieved in the first year of the programme. “Of the 21 enrolled participants, 80 percent were successful at achieving weight loss, where 35-percent of this group achieved weight loss of five to eight percent body weight. Eighty percent of participants also achieved reduction in abdominal fat, measured by waistline circumference. All participants experienced a reduction in their Body Mass Index. There was a 32-percent decrease in pre-diabetic and diabetic categorisation and an increase in normal blood glucose categorisation by 33-percent. Of the children categorised as being pre-hypertensive or hypertensive, 69-percent of that group saw a decrease in either systolic or diastolic blood pressure, or both, where from that group, 15-percent entered the range of having normal blood pressure. All participants and their parents reported having an overall positive experience within the program. Post-program, many parents have reported a noticeable improvement in their children’s self-confidence, school performance and lifestyle choices with respect to nutrition and physical activity.”

Lewis said some of the children relapsed to their old ways, which she attributes to the home environment and the support system they may have from their parents. “So this year we’re also going to take the time to have nutrition counselling sessions with the parents throughout the programme, so they will have a better idea of how to take care of their children while they’re in the programme, but also afterwards for a lifetime, how to prepare healthy meals, how to choose healthy meals when they’re busy, when they’re on the go, etc. So we’re going to focus on the parents as well as the children.”

She said “THC’s Summer Weight Loss Camp is aimed at combatting childhood obesity by transforming the lives of our youth through proper nutrition, increased physical activity and empowered minds. The camp is an actual health promotion program, which tackles all three levels of health promotion, namely, awareness, behaviour change and supportive environments. Awareness, through educational classes; behaviour change through activities, continual motivation and self-esteem coaching; and a supportive environment, through the provision of healthy lunches and snacks, social support and individualized attention.”

The camp will run over a six-week period. On the first day, each camper will undergo an initial health assessment, health goals will be set and a course for achieving them determined. This process will be repeated on the last day to see what progress was made. Campers will be separated for activities into age groups of six to nine years old, 10 to 12 years old, 13 to 15 years old, and 16 to 18 years old. Each age group will be overseen by trained camp supervisors. Campers will be fed healthy lunches and snacks on a daily basis. Campers will be engaged in a wide range of activities throughout the course of the day and every week, led by certified fitness trainers and instructors. These will include bootcamp and fitness games, martial arts/kick boxing, dance, water-aerobics and field trips and fun activities. There will also be personal development talks in the areas of nutrition and meal choices; obesity and type II diabetes – health risks and benefits of change; personal hygiene and image presentation; self-esteem building; and motivational speeches by persons such as media personality, Hema Ramkissoon and former Ms. T&T, politician and entrepreneur, Mrs. Nicole Dyer-Griffith, among others.

Lewis said “this program proved its relevance and potential for transforming the lives of several young persons within the population of T&T through behaviour change and adopted healthy lifestyle practices. This is a novelty in this part of the Caribbean, and we cannot do it alone. It would be an extremely wonderful opportunity to bring this project to fruition once again, with the help of external partners through sponsored support. It has a great possibility for further expansion and can only achieve its goals through repetition and improvement over time.”

For more information on the camp, go to http://www.torenhealth.ml, email weightlosscamp@torenhealth.ml and call (868)-775-1900.

To’ren Healthcare Consultancy | LP#60A Charles Street, Union Road, Four Roads, Diego Martin, T rinidad and Tobago |

http://www.torenhealth.ml | support@torenhealth.ml | (868)-775-1900