Childhood obesity has its roots in faulty parenting

Dubai: Educating parents about healthy eating habits is the key to reducing childhood obesity in the UAE, nutritionists say.

Luai Radees, a nutritionist who works at the Diet Centre in Dubai and has 12 years of experience, said parents’ false perceptions are a big reason for child obesity. “Children aged between two and eight do not require a lot of food, but most mothers force-feed them in the belief that not eating will affect their development. This is where the child starts learning bad eating habits,” he said.

Dr Osama K Alalla, health programmes specialist at the School and Health Department of the Ministry of Education, said a ministry study, which involved 70 schools, found that 75 per cent of school children do not eat breakfast at home.

“Having breakfast is the biggest shield against obesity as it boosts the metabolic rate and prevents them from overeating later in the day. By breakfast I don’t mean the school canteen, which opens at 10am. Children are awake from 6am and 7am and parents should ensure that they have breakfast before they leave home.”

Eating breakfast not only ensures healthy eating habits, but improves the child’s concentration leading to better academic performance.

One in every three children in the UAE is obese, according to the the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef), a situation that nutritionists believe has been caused by force-feeding, poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. Greater exposure to technology like smartphones and video games also keeps children from spending time outdoors.

Gulf News spoke to parents with children aged between three to eight.

Eman Al Jabat, a Palestinian mother of two, said: “I noticed that my daughter was overeating at a very young age, but everyone kept telling me that ‘it’s OK, let her eat as she likes, she will lose the weight as she grows older’.”

Eman’s daughter is now in the fifth grade, but is significantly bigger than the rest of her classmates; she also gets out of breath easily. She has to see a nutritionist every week.

Amani Nedal, a Jordanian mother of two, on the other hand, has two underweight children.

“I know that my children eat what they need, so I do not force-feed them. Everyone around me looks at me like I am a bad mother, who is starving her children. I believe that it is Arab culture to always force your child to finish their plate even if they are full,” she added.

Dr Alalla also said that technology is a big challenge in the fight against obesity.

“Children in the UAE spend 20 to 25 hours a week in front of the television, computer or other such devices. According to international studies, such children eat more.”

He said parents should ensure their children get 120 minutes of physical activity a day. “Handing them an iPad or throwing the responsibility on to the maid is not the solution.”

The rising rate of obesity has prompted Unicef to launch a programme in UAE schools, but nutritionists say efforts should also focus on educating parents.

Children eat what their parents put on the table. Just like teaching a child how to ride a bike or read and write, parents are responsible for teaching their children to eat and live healthy, one expert told Gulf News.

Radees added that parents should lead by example instead of buying and eating unhealthy food. However, when parents are unaware about nutrition, it is a problem. “More awareness should be raised among the public as a whole,” he added.