UAE | Health

Lifestyle change urged for obese children in UAE

Studies finding obese children as young as 10 have the arteries of 45-year olds have prompted cardiologists in the UAE to caution against over-prescribing statins to children as a "quick fix".

  • By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:41 November 15, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Doctors say medicine should come later.
  • Image Credit: Gulf News

Dubai: Studies finding obese children as young as 10 have the arteries of 45-year olds have prompted cardiologists in the UAE to caution against over-prescribing statins to children as a "quick fix".

Researchers in Australia and the US took ultrasounds of obese children's heart and arteries and compared them to those taken from 45-year olds.

They found the children's heart and arteries were similar to middle-aged people. The findings were reported at the American Heart Association conference this week.

Dr Najeeb Al Khaja, consultant cardiologist and secretary-general of the Shaikh Hamdan Medical Awards for Medical Sciences (SHAMS), told Gulf News that the studies confirmed what cardiologists had long suspected.

Difference

"The [physical] age does not matter. Someone can be 70 and have healthy arteries because he leads a healthy lifestyle, while someone who is 20 can have arteries that are older," he said.

He added the studies did not mean doctors had carte blanche to prescribe anti-cholesterol drugs, or statins, to obese children.

He said the focus should always be on prevention and lifestyle changes before medication when dealing with children. Lifestyle changes include having a healthy diet and more physical activity.

"I don't want doctors to start prescribing statins to children like they are Panadol. More studies are needed before putting children on these, because they are life-long and we are still not sure what the side effects can be," he said.

Dr Azzan Bin Braik, head of cardiology at Rashid Hospital, agreed. "I would not propose giving statins at such an early age. The ideal way is to lower their weight and exercise," he said.

However, both doctors said there were exceptions. They said in extreme cases, in which lifestyle changes had had no or little impact or when the children were born with genetic hypercholesterolemia, statins should be considered.

"Even then, I would be extremely, extremely cautious about prescribing the medicines, and checking on them constantly," Bin Braik said.

He also said doctors should test obese children's cholesterol and sugar levels, as well as heart rhythm regularly.

School nurses should also take a more pro-active role in ensuring students' health, by sending a note to parents and referring obese children to a physician.

"But do it in a diplomatic way because obese children have a hard time at school. They tend to get bullied," he added.

More than one in 10 children in the UAE are obese, according to a 2006 World Health Organisation survey. In addition, 21.3 per cent were at risk of becoming obese.

Doctors in the UAE have reported prescribing statins to obese children who have high-cholesterol.

Is obesity among children not given enough importance? Do you know anyone who has suffered because of obesity during childhood? How can parents play a more active role in addressing the issue?


Your comments


I have lived the majority of my life in Dubai. I remember before there were more free areas where children could play and exercise. Now it has become rare.
Arvand
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 16, 2008, 10:36

It is unfortunate that on the one hand this kind of grave problem (Obesity) is growing in UAE and on the other hand there is not much encouragement to find alternative methods of medicine to fight this problem. Alternatives such as natural medicines are the best way to fight obesity. They are cheap and reliable. I think health centres are making money from this problem whereas alternative medical practitioners are sitting at home because they are not taken advantage of in the country. It is high time to change the policies otherwise UAE will have a serious obesity problem.
Puneet B.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 16, 2008, 08:56

Obesity does not only come with an unhealthy lifestyle. We also need to consider the fact that marriages happen between first cousins. Interfamily marriages can cause hormonal imbalance in children, especially girls, which lead to a lot of conditions that cause obesity. I say this because I haveve seen it.
Fay
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 16, 2008, 08:16

Parents have got to be more assertive when creating their child's diet. The child is not in a position to make informed decisions yet, so it is entirely the parent's responsibility. If a parent makes a healthy diet part of an everyday life for the child, then those habits will continue into adulthood.
Katherine Nash
Dubai,UAE
Posted: November 16, 2008, 07:42

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