{"id":272125,"date":"2026-04-06T09:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=272125"},"modified":"2026-04-06T09:29:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:29:04","slug":"opinion-how-did-we-get-here-let-the-children-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/opinion-how-did-we-get-here-let-the-children-play\/","title":{"rendered":"OPINION: How Did We Get Here? Let the Children Play"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Offniel Lamont is a Sports Medicine Physiotherapist and Public Health Youth Advocate with Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY), Jamaica Health Advocates \u2013 Youth Arm (JHAYA) and Fix My Food Jamaica (UNICEF Jamaica).<\/em>
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The Caribbean, known for its beaches and climate, now faces serious health challenges. Over half of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese, according to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA, 2020). Surveys confirm obesity is widespread among all ages, putting future generations at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Children\u2019s Right to Health and Play<\/strong><\/p>

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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees every child the right to the \u201chighest attainable standard of health\u201d and to \u201cplay and recreational activities\u201d suitable for their age. Yet, these essential rights are repeatedly overlooked due to growing educational pressures, city living, and commercial forces. To address these neglects, we must examine how quality education, specifically through physical education (PE), supports lifelong health. UNESCO\u2019s International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity (PA) and Sport acknowledges that recognising these rights is critical for quality education and lifelong health.<\/p>

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 Addressing these challenges requires distinguishing PE from coaching. Coaching prepares individuals or teams for competition, while PE is a structured curriculum that develops movement, social skills, confidence, and lifelong healthy habits in all students. Physical education should be a core component, with governments using UNESCO\u2019s guidelines to reform curricula. This distinction sets the stage for understanding the broader systemic health challenges facing young people in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s health challenges are systemic and varied:<\/p>

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