Nutritional guideline planned for Dubai school canteens

Dubai: A nutritional guideline will be prepared for school canteens to serve nutritious foods across Dubai to curtail the growing incidence of obesity among children, senior health executives said.

A massive survey done across 216 schools showed that canteens at some schools still served hot dogs and hamburgers and that many vending machines in schools still dispense sugary soft drinks.

Dr Ali Al Marzouqi, director of public health and safety at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said the guidelines will be prepared soon in coordination with the health ministry, municipality and the authority overseeing schools. "We will also be talking to [representatives from] restaurants and food providers," he said.

The private and public schools surveyed have a student population of 150,000 pupils.

It is crucial that pupils do not get hooked on to fast foods which provide empty calories and are a leading cause of child obesity globally, said Dr Al Marzouqi.

According to a recent survey of children in the UAE, 12 per cent between the ages of 13 and 15 were found to be obese. The survey was done among 16,000 children. Being overweight leads to other complications as diabetes and nutritionists believe that there is an urgent need to change the dietary habits and the sedentary lifestyle of people.

The Dubai Health Authority survey among school canteens found that 77 per cent of schools provide sandwiches daily; 67 per cent provide bread and cereals; 54 per cent provide fresh fruit salads, however, it is on the menu only three times a week. And 30 per cent provide hot dogs and burgers, while 51 per cent of schools provide dairy products daily and 21 per cent provide fresh milk.

It was also found that 20 per cent of schools have vending machines in their premises, of these 12 per cent of the vending machines are stocked with soft drinks.

The survey showed that while schools are making efforts to improve food services, more needs to be done.

The health authority feels that there is an urgent need to engage school principals and teachers to ensure they commit to improving nutrition in school canteens.

There is also a need to involve students and parents and encourage them to be a part of canteen committees in schools, and become primary decision makers in selection of food item in schools.

The health authority will develop dietary guidelines and handbooks for schools which have relevant nutritional facts and recommended food intake for pupils.