Tackling child obesity in the UAE requires long-term planning as well as the involvement of a number of entities and parties. If a final solution is to be arrived upon, a thorough plan needs to be put in place and executed.
It is estimated that a third of the children in the country are either obese or overweight. A recent statistic had the UAE listed as seventh on the Global Fat Scale among 177 countries. This number is calculated based on UN data on population size and estimates of global weight from the World Health Organisation.
There are various factors that have contributed to the problem. Sedentary lifestyle and easy availability of fast food in abundance are some of reasons. There is also the lack of a culture that teaches and encourages healthy eating habits among children. Having children maintain healthy food intake requires continuous and consistent efforts — involving the home, school and all other entities that come in contact with children as they grow. Only a holistic approach can help determine that children in the UAE live a healthy life.
