Caribbean teens facing alarming rise in adult-onset health conditions

With just a few days into the new school year in Guyana, a concerning trend in adolescent health across the Caribbean has come into sharp focus. Dr Asha Pemberton, Caribbean Vice-President (VP) of the International Association for Adolescent Health, is sounding the alarm on medical complications in teens that were once virtually unheard of, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and menstrual irregularities. Speaking during Thursday’s Healthy Caribbean Coalition webinar, ‘Back to School, Back to Health: Nothing at School Should Encourage Unhealthy Choices’, Dr Pemberton described a troubling shift in teen health across the region. “Conditions once considered adult-onset are now standard among Caribbean adolescents,” she explained, citing insulin resistance, early signs of metabolic disease and elevated blood pressure.
Having worked in paediatric and adolescent health for over 20 years, Dr Pemberton said the current reality represents a dramatic change from when she began her career. “At the beginning of my career, the medical complications we are now seeing were pretty much unheard of,” she said.
But the crisis is not only physical. The psychological impact on overweight and obese teens is equally alarming. Low self-esteem, social withdrawal and a pervasive sense of being “different” are becoming commonplace, she noted.
“It’s really important to recognise the silent effects on their health and well-being, which are often emotional and psychosocial,” Dr Pemberton said.
“Obese and overweight children and teens are aware that their bodies are not healthy. There is a difficulty moving through the world in a bigger body.”
This awareness, she explained, erodes confidence at a critical stage of development, where social comparison and peer identification play an important role. The fallout can be profound, affecting behaviour, participation in activities, and overall well-being. Consequences include withdrawal from sports and physical activity, not due to lack of interest but from pain, discomfort, and limited cardiovascular endurance. “While you might say, ‘Just go to the gym’ or ‘Just walk,’ the reality is, it hurts to walk, and it’s hard to walk, their cardiovascular tolerance is not normal,” she explained.
“When we put interventions in place, we have to recognise that their bodies are not normal bodies, and they feel much more conspicuous.”
This sense of visibility and vulnerability can lead to troubling coping behaviours, including binge eating, social reclusion and engagement in high-risk behaviours. At the root of these issues, Dr Pemberton stressed, is low self-esteem caused by body weight and shape.
“An adolescent or older child with low self-esteem is more likely to binge more, recluse themselves from social activities, and engage in risky behaviours,” she said.
Dr Pemberton’s warning comes at a crucial time as schools reopen, highlighting the need for targeted interventions, supportive environments, and holistic strategies to address both the physical and emotional health of Caribbean youth.
Guyana faces significant mental health challenges for its youth, including high suicide rates and a growing prevalence of common disorders like anxiety and depression, often exacerbated by stigma and a lack of supportive environments.
In response, the Guyanese Government has launched initiatives like the Mental Health Protection and Promotion Act and the Kind to Your Mind campaign, aiming to improve access to care, reduce stigma and increase early intervention through public education and community support.