Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman says the rise from 31% in 2017 to 42% in 2026 cannot be ignored, urging stronger limits on food-industry branding in schools.
Barbados is facing a sharp rise in childhood obesity, with Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman warning that the figure is now “scary and staggering”. The proportion of children who are overweight or obese has climbed from 31% in 2017 to 42% in 2026, a shift that he said cannot be ignored if the country wants to keep advancing academically and economically while protecting public health.
Blackman made the comments at the launch of the Barbados School Nutrition Policy Recognition Awards, where he argued that school reform must go hand in hand with better health outcomes. He said Barbados cannot rely on new buildings, systems and classroom improvements alone if children are growing up with poor eating habits and an increased risk of long-term illness. Speaking about his own weight-loss journey, he told the audience: “I can’t be saying to the nation in one direction that we have an obesity issue. I was obese. That’s a fact.”
The minister also used the occasion to press for firmer boundaries around the role of companies in schools. While welcoming private-sector support, he said brands associated with ultra-processed foods should not be allowed to use school activities or materials to influence children. He argued that even when food is not being handed out directly, branded items such as pencil cases or sharpeners can still send messages that undermine the policy’s aims.
His warning comes against the backdrop of a school nutrition framework that Barbados has been building for several years. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the island’s school meal programme provides hot or cold lunches to preschool, primary and some secondary pupils, while the Barbados School Nutrition Policy, launched in 2022, set standards for school meals and limited food marketing in school settings. The National Nutrition Centre, part of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, says it worked with the Ministry of Education on the policy, which is meant to support healthier eating, learning and lifelong habits. Advocates have also cautioned that the school food environment will be crucial to whether the policy succeeds in practice.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
