Ponte En Forma, or Get Fit, has evolved and grown over time. Get Fit started in 2008 with nutrition advice, aerobics, and hypertension and diabetes screening. Since then we’ve screened more than 1200 people. Healthy eating and exercise are the most important prevention tools one can use for Diabetes and Hypertension Prevention. For more information about our Diabetes and Hypertension Program visit here. Galapagos ICE has different programs within Ponte en Forma which also include healthy eating and exercise programs.
In January 2012 Galapagos ICE will be launching a Healthy Lifestyle Program. Check back in January for more information.
Nutrition Education
Until recently malnutrition was a problem in the Galapagos Islands but this has now been replaced by obesity as one of the major health issues in the region. A Galapagos ICE volunteer, Nutritionist Aglaee Jacobs believed it could be do to the lack of fiber (fruits and vegetables and whole grains) in their diets, too many starches and calories.
Galapagos ICE has nutrition clinics, only when there are nutrition volunteers, but volunteers also visit high risk individuals in their homes to assess how they are cooking and eating. Nutritionists with culinary skills are especially valuable for this work.
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Galapagos ICE has a mission to educate the community about good nutrition and its role in combating obesity and obesity-related diseases. Ongoing work also involves going into the schools and assessing the eating habits of the kids. For example, a popular snack for school kids at morning break is an empanada (dough stuffed with cheese, deep fried in oil and topped with sugar!). Dietitian volunteer, Emma Tsoi, recently observed school children at Galo Plazas Lasso Elementary school paying attention to their eating habits and observing the school bar. Galapagos ICE will give suggestions on some changes they can make to the bar for healthier food choices, and will also give presentations to the teachers and parents so they have a better understanding of how to lead a healthier lifestyle. School Observation Report by Emma Tsoi
At most elementary schools, parents take turns bringing in desayuno escolar or breakfast at school for all the children in the class. The staple ingredient is rice as it is cheap and easy to prepare. Galapagos ICE aims to help teachers to plan meals better and to encourage parent to bring in healthier and more balanced meals for the children.
We need volunteer nutritionists to work with the parents and teachers at school and other adults in the community to raise awareness about this issue. We aim to create new habits and to change existing habits.
In the future Galapagos ICE would like to take their program to another level and work with supermarkets who offer a variety of healthier foods on a couple of shelves with Ponte en forma approved food. And though we have worked with restaurants to develop Ponte en forma approved meal choices that are portion controlled and include fruit and vegetables, we hope to include other restaurants.
Exercise
Galapagos ICE wants to get the community moving!
Maurico Pozo, a personal trainer, holds a daily aerobics and weights class which locals can pay a small fee to attend. This has proven to be a very successful initiative with regular, enthusiastic attendees.
In addition, our volunteers run a free daily exercise sessions at Pampas Coloradas, an open-air stadium in Puerto Ayora. These sessions cater to different levels of ability and fitness. Families are encouraged to come with their kids to walk, run, do crunches and push ups, and to play games and sports organized by the volunteers.
Every volunteer brings his or her own unique flavour to the program so there is always great variety. For example, Tomas Burvall and Stina Persson, two volunteers from Sweden, created The Frisbee Project and taught the locals how to play Frisbee !
