Environment for Health Development Initiative (E4HDI), a not-for-profit firm, said it plans to engage 400 students on ways of preventing obesity in six primary and secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nnenna Ezigwe, during the flag-off of the programme at the Junior Secondary School, Wuse in Abuja, said, “Initially, we intended to reach 200 pupils in about two schools in the FCT. But when we set out with our plan, we discovered that more can benefit.
“So right now, in this school alone and in the school nearby, we’re going to reach 200 and we have four other schools to go to after these ones. So in the end, we’re looking at 400 pupils or more benefiting.”
On what inspired the programme, she said: “We found out that obesity is a risk factor for most of the non-communicable diseases and this one is targeting the children because if we catch them young, then they will grow up with healthier lifestyle by taking care of their diet and doing exercises, which are the two main ways of preventing obesity.
She also said the programme is key as obesity in childhood leads to communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and other heart diseases.
