Biggin’ it up – food security and obesity in Jamaica and St Lucia

The food systems and the nature of food security problems in the Caribbean countries are gradually changing. This paper explores two different aspects of food security, namely undernourishment and overweight in the two Caribbean Islands of Jamaica and St. Lucia.

Food availability is becoming less of an issue in most of the region. Instead, energy intensive and unbalanced diets leading to overweight and obesity is increasingly becoming the key food security challenge, even so among households considered vulnerable of becoming food insecure.

Main findings are that: 

• food insecurity patterns in both countries depend strongly on the household livelihood
• both economic and social factors affect the likelihood of experiencing food insecurity, of the vulnerable households in the two islands
• cash, credit and asset constraints, appear binding for different livelihoods in order to improve on their food security
• food quality constraints are reported as major impediments for an improved self-assessment of the food security status
• among the important demographic variables a significant food security gender component is witnessed, as female headed households appear more food insecure
  

The authors show that policy interventions need to address food insecurity in conjunction with unhealthy dietary patterns in both countries. In addition, the following recommendations are presented: 

• conventionally education is suggested as the major public intervention to control obesity
• in education systems, the introduction of health and nutrition related courses both for teachers and children, is recommended 
• restricting access to commodities with increased levels of fats and sugars in schools is also recommendable
• among measures suggested to address the more inactive way of modern life are investments on parks and facilities that promote physical activity and exercise in urban and rural areas
• taxes on particular ingredients or specific categories of food may be effective as well