UAE | Health
Fighting fat to remain fit
Healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables may soon be cheaper due to government efforts to control rising obesity in the society, experts said.
- By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 March 17, 2007
- Environmental agencies and municipalities may also apply regulations to encourage food markets to sell more healthy food.
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Dubai: Healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables may soon be cheaper due to government efforts to control rising obesity in the society, experts said.
In the UAE, modifications to the Diet and Physical Activity Strategy (DIPAS) for Gulf countries include selling fruits and vegetables and other health foods at lower prices, and involving various government agencies and ministries.
Dr Huda Al Suwaidi, consultant in family medicine at the Health Ministry, told Gulf News that the initiative was important as unhealthy diet and lifestyle gave rise to many health problems in the region, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Initiative
She said the government would first seek voluntary participation from supermarkets.
"We might even get the Ministry of Finance to come up with legislation that would control the prices of vegetables and fruits, because it will be a way of getting people to eat more healthy food," she said.
She said the Health Ministry would lend its name in promoting supermarkets and cooperatives that take up the initiative voluntarily, as an incentive.
She added that under the plan, environmental agencies and municipalities may also apply regulations to encourage food markets to sell more healthy foods.
Representatives and experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and the GCC Council of Health Ministers met last week and came up with the diet and physical activity strategy for Gulf countries and recommended increasing physical activity in schools, regulating nutritional content of foods and conducting a health survey.
"We as a Gulf region have the same factors, the same burden of diseases so we should implement a GCC strategy and also have some modifications tailored for the country," Dr Al Suwaidi said, adding that the Health Ministry was in the process of forming a committee in charge of implementation.
On physical activity, she said the Education Ministry would have the responsibility of implementing the necessary changes to the school curriculum.
"The ministry will increase physical activity and nutritional education in the curriculum. It will also work on school canteens and make them serve healthy food," she said.
LIFESTYLE
Call for survey of health factors in UAE
A Diet and Physical Activity Strategy also calls on the UAE to conduct a survey on social, demographical, economic and psychological factors influencing health in the UAE, which will be part of a global WHO and UN survey.
It is a long-term programme as it seeks changing lifestyles, which is not easy, a health ministry consultant said. "It is a big project." She said it was important to get a clear idea of the present health situation in order to formulate future health policies.
The survey could begin by the end of the year and will collect information on all age groups in the population, including their body mass index, blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels, as well as lifestyle.
About 70 per cent of men above 30 in the UAE are overweight and 30 per cent obese, while 78 per cent of women in the same age group are overweight and 50 per cent obese, according to 2005 WHO statistics. More than 20 per cent of schoolchildren aged 12 to 16 in the UAE are overweight, while 12 per cent are already obese.
Your comments
It is a very nice idea. I agree that the prices of food items should decrease.
Hania
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Government should have an involvement in the market. The best way is to start outlets under government or semi-government bodies. By dealing directly with the end users, the government can control market prices and can make sure the prices of healthy food are reasonable.
Jerish
Fujairah,UAE
It is a superb idea and great news that health is given priority by the government. This is a timely step in the sense that it is better to be late than never. If fruits and vegetables are available at reasonable price people at large will be benefited immensely.
Nirmal
Sharjah,UAE
Fat-free food is freely available from Nature but does not get due importance.
M. Shamsheer
Deira,UAE
It is really a very good step. People are reluctant to change their habits as they don't bother or else cannot afford to. So it is good if the prices are lowered as specialty diet products are expensive.
Humaira
Dubai,UAE
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