Childhood obesity is a systemic problem, as Bruce Lee, director of the global obesity prevention centre at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told The National last week. It requires comprehensive rules and regulations, extending from advertisement to school to daily lifestyle.
In the UAE, childhood obesity continues to present itself as one of the most challenging health issues. A recent study in Ras Al Khaimah found that 40 per cent of schoolchildren are overweight, 24.4 per cent are obese and 5.7 per cent are extremely – or morbidly – obese. The researchers from UAE University expressed concerns that rates of extreme obesity are rising – especially among boys – and that it seems to be a trend across the country.
Childhood obesity is one of the issues that needs early intervention to produce positive outcomes. We need to overcome the cultural barriers to healthy diets and lifestyles. This can start from infrastructure, as we highlighted last week, by following the positive example of Oklahoma City in the United States in making a cultural shift. Children enjoy playing outdoors, in parks and playgrounds, if they get the opportunity to do so, and need to grow up in cities that encourage active lifestyles.
It's also important to have parental and school support systems to prevent childhood obesity and help overweight children. Parents have to be role models for their children in making good nutritional choices and doing regular exercise. Schools have to include health education in their curriculum. This is why the new health science subject introduced by the Ministry of Education in the recent education reforms is important. The subject should teach pupils about good nutrition and the value of leading an active lifestyle. Schools can also monitor what children eat at school.
All this should come with regulations controlling the advertisement and promotion of unhealthy foods and rules putting more restrictions on fast food restaurants and the selling of sugary drinks and sweets. Addressing childhood obesity will bring many social and economic benefits.