Dubai: Parents in the UAE have backed a UK proposal to send warning letters to parents of obese children.
Asma Nayeem, 47, a mother of three, said: "The proposal, if implemented, will yield positive results because in my opinion not all parents are aware of the health risks involved."
The parents were reacting to a comment made last week by UK Health Secretary Alan Johnson, who said more action is needed to reduce obesity among children.
The warning letter was one of the several proposals. According to him, obesity in Britain could lead to a "potential crisis on a scale of climate change". A government study carried out in the UK indicates that half the population could be obese within 25 years.
Asma said she noticed many obese children in Dubai and was worried about her son's health, even though he is not overweight.
Mitun de Sarkar, dietician and managing director of Simply Healthy, a health food restaurant and dietary medical service, said the UAE needs to tackle obesity among children urgently because of the high rate of diabetes.
She said: "I am approached by both UAE nationals and expatriates. A majority of people lead sedentary lives. People are getting used to eating fast food, they are inactive and are not exercising."
She advised parents to help their children combat obesity by setting an example and eating healthy food at home. Schools are offering chips and chocolates, they should give fresh fruit instead.
In an earlier statement issued by Dr Huda Al Suwaidi, a consultant in family medicine at the Ministry of Health, the UAE has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world, higher than the US. "It also has one of the highest rates of diabetes, one of many obesity-related diseases, with an estimated one in five adults affected.
"The private and commercial sector must help educate the community; they have to help us, help the people," she said in a statement.
Nasar Usmani, a Gulf News Reader's Club member and father of four, said: "The canteens in schools are full of junk food and they do not put an effort to provide healthy food. I make sure that my children take homemade breakfast and take homemade lunch to school."
Experts urged parents to take an active role in protecting their children's oral health, following a study indicating that 70 to 80 per cent of people in the UAE suffer dental problems.
"As elsewhere in the world, the UAE faces a serious oral health record due to increasing consumption of sugar and junk food," Dr Ebrahim Abdullah Bin Arab, Director of the Dental Department at the Ministry of Health, said during the launch of the Bright Smiles, Bright Future campaign. Dental caries, or tooth decay, are the highest in five-year olds due to the lack of awareness among parents, said Dr Ebrahim.
Exposure to fluorides
"The oral health situation is worsening in the UAE, and dental cavities affect 60 to 90 per cent of school children as a result of growing sugar consumption and inadequate exposure to fluorides," said Michele Aerden, head of World Dental Federation.
The campaign was held on the sidelines of the World Dental Congress which runs from today until October 27.
Alarming figures
The journal Circulation released a report yesterday, revealing that between half to two-thirds of men and women in 63 countries on five continents - not including the US - were overweight or obese in 2006.
Only 7 per cent of people in East Asia were obese, compared to 36 per cent of people seeing doctors in Canada. The study also showed that 38 per cent of women in Middle Eastern countries and 40 per cent in South Africa are obese.
Source: BBC
Your comments
Yes I agree with you. My child also suffers this type of obesity related problem. Please advise me on what I can do for my child.
Ghazali
Sharjah,United Arab Emirates
Posted: October 24, 2007, 09:09
