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Not for Profit: Women With Focus

Janice Mathurin, left, and Lamalliah Milligan.Janice “Loving Jay” Mathurin, founder of Women With Focus, hopes to create a healthier community by focusing on youngsters and childhood obesity.

“Obesity is becoming an epidemic in the Virgin Islands,” Mathurin says. “We need to take obesity seriously. I look at kids who will become 300 to 400 pound adults and it hurts me to see them.”

She says 15 percent of children are overweight and 30 percent of them are obese. Childhood obesity can lead to childhood type 2 diabetes, she says, and it impacts lifestyles by causing youngsters to have lower self esteem and feel discomfort in social situations.

Mathurin knows firsthand about the health risks related to obesity. She was obese, had high blood pressure, and struggled with her health. She didn’t know if she would live to see her 40s after suffering a stroke and a heart attack. She overcame her problems through homeopathic medicine and a healthier lifestyle – eating right and exercising and in the end loosing 137 pounds.

“God answered my prayers and spoke to my heart, it was my calling to share my story and help others with obesity problems,” Mathurin says. She studied nutrition and alternative medicine and became a registered certified nutritional consultant.

She started Women With Focus 15 years ago with like-minded, health-conscious women and the St. Croix Athletic Club for children 11 years ago.

The St. Croix Athletic Club meets after school in Grove Place at the David Hamilton Jackson Center and Isaac Boynes Park. Children meet from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and there is a special weight-loss segment of aerobics until 7:30 p.m. The children get a healthy snack and do a tutorial and homework session. After that there are sports and fitness activities, arts and crafts, and field trips.

In the fitness and nutrition part of the program children learn about eating healthy food, portion control and eating several snacks a day.

Mathurin says everyone can join and benefit from the program, not just overweight children.

“The fun program focuses on lifestyle changes, regular exercise and good nutrition,” Mathurin explains. She says she teaches the children how to become responsible for themselves; learning to make good food choices and not getting too hungry.

“If they get too hungry they may reach for junk food and eat too much,” she says. “They can eat what they like and not deprive themselves. It’s about learning self control.”

She says the students should be between the ages of 8 and 12, when they are still teachable and not set in their ways.

“We hear some children say my family members are big and that’s the way I will be,” Mathurin reports. “Some parents are in denial about their child’s weight. We can’t settle for the old ways. We can do better and must do better for our children by educating them.”

Participants in the program take educational and fitness field trips to places such as the University of Virgin Islands Extension’s talapia farm, hikes in the rain forest, tours of Carambola Golf Course to learn about golf, and Malabo Fun Spot for roller skating.

There are signs the program is working for overweight children.

Lamalliah Milligan, 10-years-old, started out in the program at 161 pounds. She says she has lost 24 pounds since April and feels pretty good about herself now.

“Kids used to call me big belly,” Milligan says. “I lost three dress sizes and I have a lot more energy now. And my complexion has cleared up.”

And there is Alvin Vennor. His doctor told his mom he had to loose weight and he has gone from a size 42 to 36 in his pants waist size.

Mathurin says registration for the program is going on through Sept. 17 and space is limited. There is a fee of $50 for the school year that covers insurance and incidentals.

She is signing students up for the “Biggest Loser” contest where children have a chance to win a trip to Tortola to swim with dolphins.

Further information on the program for women and children on St. John can be obtained by calling Simonia at 643-4772 and on St. Thomas by calling Corene at 643-0153. Those interested can also call Mathurin at 473-6641 or 626-8188, or go online to www.womenwithfocus.com.

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