Nevispages Feature by Curtis Morton
The way I see it, whenever people are taken out of their comfort zones, they normally react with some form of resistance. Today, Friday 20th September, has been dubbed as FEET IN DE STREET, by the Health Promotions Unit. Their stated mission is for people to get into a habit of walking more and driving less, which will ultimately enhance their health and wellness and in the long run, longevity of life.
In collaboration with the Traffic Department, certain streets were blocked, which caused persons to have to walk some way into Main Street, Charlestown. Some folks, depending on where they were able to park, did not have to walk too far, while others had to go a fair distance. Boy, you should hear some people buse! Well I newa!
One guy shouted: ‘If they know they want to exercise, why they don’t go over to Long Point and do they thing there and don’t disturb anyone else!’ Another guy spared the thought: ‘Suppose they tell the boats that they cannot dock and people have to swim it in from a little way out!’
It is a fact that within the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, we have a high percentage of overweight individuals. Generally speaking, according to the experts, this is due to a combination of poor nutrition habits and a lack of exercise. I was told many moons ago, that you can know when you are having a weight issue. Simply run your hand, from your chest downwards, to your waist and if your hand does not stop at your belt, then you have a serious problem! Like I always say, when I was growing up, we walked for miles and miles.
Ask people like Stedmond Tross and Joseph Liburd. Before school buses were invented, we walked from Gingerland to Charlestown, as students of the Charlestown Secondary School. GSS was not yet a reality. Then we had to walk back the same route, at afternoons, to get home. Occasionally, we were able to ‘bomb’ a ride, but that was really OCCASIONALLY. Nevis did not have a lot of vehicles then.
Nowadays, children are given money by parents to pay buses from Meade’s Pasture in Gingerland, to the Gingerland schools or from Brown Hill and closer areas, to CSS.
Add to that, the fact that children nowadays, literally do nothing, before getting dressed for school.
We had to ‘look water’, look after animals and do a host of home chores, before we could eat and get ready for school and were expected to be early every single day, or there may be punitive measures in-store.
However, the children nowadays, wake up, eat, bathe and dress for school and in most cases, are DRIVEN to school and from school. Then they are not given healthy snacks, so add to that a whole ton of hotdogs; Chinese food; chicken and fries……. The results according to the Health experts, are alarming.
Nevis has an extremely high record of Diabetics, hypertensive people; overweight people and the like. There are many men going around, looking as if they are carrying twins!
Ultimately, this leads to heart attacks; strokes, renal failure; amputations and so many other unhappy results—not to mention, DEATH.
So, rather than CUSS, why not just walk for the day and then make it a habit to walk more? You know, if some people had the chance, they would drive their vehicles and park them right by their desks in the office-or park right in their bedroom, when they get home?
Exercise is NECESSARY. Exercise is ESSENTIAL. Let us big up the Health Promotions Unit and hush……….
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?