The Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) has been consistently promoting wellness on the island as a means of improving the overall health of residents.

It’s a mandate that’s been expressed internally, as well as externally, as staff at the Canaan Health Centre recently completed “The Biggest Loser” programme, hosted in collaboration with the TRHA’s Primary Care Nutrition Unit.

The programme started in April. Six months later, health attendant Kelly St. Clair emerged the winner and recipient of a cash prize last week after losing 24 pounds. In all, the 11 participants lost a combined 93.5 lbs.

The programme was aimed at promoting healthy workplace habits and healthier lifestyles, encouraging teamwork and setting a good example to colleagues and clients as healthy role models.

Senior district health visitor Theresa Britto-Williams said the initiative started with a medical assessment, which showed some staff needed to improve their health.

“This tells us how important exercise is,” Britto-Williams explained, “how important it is to read our labels and to pay attention to our [body mass index] and the things that we are eating.  It built greater awareness and reemphasised what a healthy diet is all about.”