Arter knows a thing or two about the impact of too much sugar and not enough exercise on one’s health. High blood pressure, diabetes and stroke are just some of the ailments he’s witnessed among loved ones, inspiring his crusade to help reverse the trend.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s eye-catching mascot may be a fictional character but his story is a reality for thousands of people across Antigua and Barbuda where non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death.
This week marks a year since the organisation launched Arter and since then he’s made his sky-high scarlet presence felt across nine primary schools, delighting hundreds of children and encouraging them to make positive lifestyle changes.
Arter is accompanied on his school trips by a team comprising paediatricians from the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, physicians, nurses and friends of the Foundation.
“We speak about the importance of healthy habits, like eating fruits and vegetables, having less screen time and instead getting out and exercising, walking and playing games with friends, along with staying hydrated through drinking water rather than fruit juice,” a spokeswoman explained.
“We also do breathing exercises with the children, taking a few minutes to have them focus on their breathing and being present. They really love that.”
Interactive activities such as holding up placards that display choices between water and soda, playing football or a video game, have proved a hit with the youngsters. The Foundation also created an upbeat jingle teaching kids to eat their greens in order to grow strong and healthy.
It’s not just children that Arter has in his sights. More than 200 teachers and auxiliary staff have been screened for body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
February is National Heart Month during which Foundation members will step up activities to raise awareness about heart disease, the world’s number one killer. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, inadequate exercise and being overweight are all major risk factors.
This month is also the fourth anniversary of the Foundation which was set up to act as a voice and support system for patients and their families, raise funds, stage events, and carry out medical research.
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