Sugar-free treats and salads can keep us healthy

Readers suggest ways to keep fit and healthy. Other topics: drugs, slum tourism and corruption in India.

Takeaway salads could help us lead healthier lives, a reader says. (Lee Hoagland / The National)

In your Task Spotting poll (The survey says: The regime to keep fit and healthy, November 5), you ask for suggestions to make the UAE healthier.

Restaurants serving salads and other healthy dishes to take away would be great.

I’d also like to see more qualified personal trainers and real pavements beside the roads. Where I live, they are tiny and sometimes nonexistent.

It would be great if people were more mindful of others in general, but especially on the road. I love cycling, but it’s scary to do it here.

Oana Pester, Abu Dhabi

How about curbing all that excess butter, sugar and salt used in products available at cinema concession stands, and mandating some healthy snacks instead?

Musammil SK, Ajman

We should educate youngsters about healthy lifestyles and good nutrition.

Habits are harder to break as we grow older.

Houda Dafir, Morocco

Don’t judge, but you can advise

In Judging you, judging me ... why can't we let people be? (November 5), Rym Ghazal says that we should not tell others what to wear.

In the Quran it clearly says it’s the duty of a Muslim to remind his brothers and sisters in Islam and guide them to be on a righteous path.

Niaz Abdul Kader, Abu Dhabi

There’s a difference between judging someone and correcting someone who is doing wrong in order to point them in the right direction.

Name withheld by request

Slum tour was on curriculum

I am writing about your editorial Unattractive attraction (November5), about tourists visiting the slums of Manila.

When I was a child in the Philippines, we did a forced “immersion” in slum areas as part of the school curriculum.

We stayed overnight with the people and ate whatever they served for a day.

I really benefited from the experience, but I’m not sure what our hosts got out of meeting us.

C Valera, Dubai

Access to drugs is the big issue

I refer to your editorial, Shocking drug use is a call to action (November 6).

The question is: how are children, or anybody for that matter, getting access to drugs? Rejane Serao, Au Dhabi

Children are curious and experimental by nature. Without proper guidance, these kinds of things can happen.

Sharene Abushaaban, Au Dhabi

Smoking ban to be increased (November 6) says there will be a UAE-wide prohibition on smoking in public spaces from next year.

I recently saw a “no smoking” sign in a coffee shop and a group of men were sitting there, drinking coffee or tea – and smoking.

We can have all the rules we want, but if no one enforces them what’s the point?

I don’t expect the workers in the shop to enforce the law, because the customers won’t listen anyway.

The law needs to be strictly enforced by the authorities. Give the offenders a substantial fine. Name withheld by request

If people don’t like smoke in bars and clubs, they should avoid them. You are free to choose.

G Molten, Abu Dhabi

Corruption fight will not be easy

I would like to comment on the editorial Cleaning India's greasy palms (November 5).

The fact that that India ranks 94th out of 177 on a global corruption index is not so bad.

The present government under prime minister Narendra Modi is taking all the measures it can to fight this menace.

Corruption is so widespread across all transactions in India that it will be a tough task for Mr Modi to eradicate it. It may take time.

K Ragavan, India

Your travel article, The past and present collide in Yerevan (November 7) was a nice write up.

It reflects Armenia in a good way.

Mariam Schwarzmann, Abu Dhabi