 The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs is shining a spotlight on the problem of childhood obesity as St. Lucia observes Caribbean Wellness Day. This year's commemoration focuses on equitable access to health and all-of-society approach to health and well-being, and building healthy communities under the theme, Powerful Collective Action, in it together, building healthy communities. St. Lucia's Ministry of Health recently hosted a virtual health fair highlighting various areas of concern, more from her mother Mark. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs recently celebrated Caribbean Wellness Day 2021 with a virtual health fair. The event consisted of informative presentations by health professionals highlighting prevalent health ailments in the Caribbean region. One topic of particular importance discussed was that of childhood obesity. A presentation by Dr. Lisa Hunt, Chief Nutritionist in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, highlighted that this impediment to children's health has tripled from 1975 to 2021. Dr. Hunt explained that there are a number of contributing factors to childhood obesity, including poor eating habits. We have another issue of lack of physical activity where children are spent sitting down a lot, especially through the COVID situation that we have. Last year, after the COVID shutdown, there were many children that were overweight where their uniforms could not even fit them. And so we don't want that to continue because we know the implications of childhood obesity. We want the children to be more active. So sitting and playing with their video games and these things are contributing factors to childhood obesity. I'm spending too much time watching television on the phone. Screen time is another modifiable factor. Another issue is food marketing to children. This is very powerful. The advertisement of unhealthy foods to children can influence children's choices of food, children's preferences of food and have their mothers encourage their mothers to buy foods that are not healthy. Dr. Hunt stated that the substitution of breastfeeding with infant formula and genetics can also contribute to obesity in children. Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs Hon. Moses Jabatist indicated that the Ministry of Health is aiding in tackling the issues of childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases in St. Lucia. Through our nutrition unit, we continue to implement policies that are aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy diets in schools. We are involved in research and surveillance of risk factors for major NCDs. As governments, we cannot say in the Caribbean that we have achieved what we set out to do in September of 2007, but every year we attempt to do more. This year's overall theme highlights the fact that being and staying healthy starts with each and every one of us. We can only do it together. We must ensure that every single one of us makes it our duty to find out what we can do. We can make every effort to be more physically active. The Caribbean Wellness D Health Fair was held on Saturday, 11 September 2021. From the Government Information Service, I'm Humedi Makh reporting.