 As part of its efforts to educate students on the benefits of physical activity, the Nutrition Unit recently visited the past year's Monropo Combined School and engaged the students in educational talks and fun-filled physical activities. Chief Nutritionist Lisa Hunt says this initiative is necessary and believes making physical activity fun and creative will encourage students to continue exercising and remain healthy. We've realized that children are very inactive, especially as the summer is just around the corner. We want to encourage them to be more physically active and so whatever that we are teaching them here today is we want them to know that physical activity doesn't always have to be structured. You can have fun activities you can do like for example today we did hula hoop with them, we did hopscotch, we did skipping with them and a number of activities that they quite enjoyed and this is what we want to do. Hunt also spoke on the importance of promoting physical activity amongst students at an early age as to assist in addressing the increasing global burden of chronic diseases. Physical activity plays a key role in preventing obesity and we have a high rate of childhood obesity around the Caribbean including St Lucia. So not only will physical activity help them to maintain a healthy weight but it will help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancers and these are the health conditions that St Lucia has so much of morbidity and mortality in. So if we start from a very early age we are able to cope these conditions. Two students from the past year's Monripo Combined School shared the experiences of this activity. Student Brian Bright speaks. We played a game called dodgeball it was very fun and I enjoyed seeing some of the students trying very hard. It's very important to exercise to keep you healthy and in shape. Student Merlan Norbot speaks. It was a very exciting experience for everybody and including me. I think it's important for us to do physical activity to keep our body working and strong and active every day. The nutrition unit will continue the physical activity sessions in other schools around the island. Reporting from the communications unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, I am Phenilep Thun.