Tiffany Faulkner Wins Diabetes Video Contest
Tiffany Faulkner of the Claudia Creque Educational Centre has been named the winner of the 'Beat Diabetes Before It Starts' video competition. She receives a $150 Everything Organic voucher sponsored by the Unite BVI Foundation in recognition of a one‑minute video that highlights healthy habits for children.
Tiffany Faulkner of the Claudia Creque Educational Centre has been declared the winner of this year’s “Beat Diabetes Before It Starts” video competition. Faulkner will receive a $150 voucher from Everything Organic, generously sponsored by the Unite BVI Foundation, for her creative one‑minute entry that showcased healthy habits for children.
Public Health Officer Renee Leonard praised Faulkner’s video, saying it “beautifully captured the spirit of the campaign, showing how children can take small, meaningful steps today to secure a lifetime of good health.” The competition invited young people across the Virgin Islands to produce one‑minute videos demonstrating how they stay active, eat healthily, and build habits that help prevent Type 2 diabetes.
The initiative forms part of ongoing public health efforts to raise awareness about Type 2 diabetes in the BVI. According to Ms Leonard, Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable through straightforward lifestyle choices: maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, achieving a healthy body weight, and avoiding tobacco use.
Encouraging children to adopt these practices early is intended to reduce future disease burden in the Territory. For parents, teachers and caregivers in the BVI, the competition underscores practical actions that can be promoted at home and in schools. Simple steps such as regular play and sports, limiting sugar‑sweetened beverages and highly processed snacks, and involving children in preparing balanced meals all support the kinds of habits the campaign highlights.
Public health messaging also stresses that small, consistent changes have long‑term benefits. The Unite BVI Foundation’s sponsorship and the Everything Organic voucher prize reflect partnerships between community organisations and public health authorities to bolster prevention efforts.
Initiatives like this aim not only to inform but to empower young people to be ambassadors for healthy living among their peers and families. Community members who want to support diabetes prevention can look for future public health campaigns and school programmes, and consult health centres for guidance on healthy eating and activity for children.
As the Territory continues to confront non‑communicable diseases, public engagement and early prevention remain key strategies to protect the health of current and future generations.
Primary source: VINO