Lack of education main issue facing battle against obesity in UAE schools

Dubai: A lack of health education classes, poor teacher knowledge, carelessness on the part of parents and a lack of after-school physical activity programmes are the main challenges facing the fight against fat in schools, it was announced at an education conference on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Teach Me conference that opened yesterday, Ahmad Abdul Rahman, project manager, Princess Haya's initiative for the Development of Health, said it is imperative to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure that he or she takes personal commitment to practise physical activity and follow healthy behaviour throughout life to fight obesity.

Dr Ayman Abu Laban, Unicef representative in the Gulf, said schools in the UAE have to play a more active role in promoting nutritional eating and build awareness among students.

He suggested that in-house marketing of food items in schools should be regulated and the food and beverages served in school canteens meet certain nutritional requirements.

Dr Ayman added that the main aim of Unicef's Fat Truth campaign launched on April 2009 under the patronage of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, Wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is to bring the subject of childhood obesity to the forefront of social concern.

Through the campaign, Unicef suggests the implementation of a school health programme addressing the nutrition and physical activity needs, organising school competitions to encourage involvement from students and keep staff, parents and students informed of policies to ensure support for the cause.

Quoting from an initiative between the Clinton Foundation's Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Heart Association, Ayman pointed out that in the United States, more than 1,100 schools in 34 states receive in-person support, and an additional 1,400 schools receive online support in all 50 states to help create school environments that promote physical activity and healthy eating through the Healthy School Programme.

The UAE is ranked 10th among countries with the most overweight people, and the country has the second highest rate of diabetes in terms of population worldwide. Yet much is to be done to promote nutritional and healthy eating among its younger generation, he said.

Survey

Highlighting the poor eating habits of schoolchildren, Dr Mariam Matroushi, Director of Health Legislation at the ministry said a survey conducted among 15,790 students has revealed that 47.4 per cent of students in UAE schools do not have fruit once or more in a month.

While more than 56 per cent of students ate fast food more than three times in the last week when the survey was conducted, less than 25 per cent had any intake of vegetables.

Shocking figures