Survey finds most UAE residents have unhealthy lifestyles

Seven out of 10 fail to follow healthy living guidelines, and a nutritionist laments that it takes dieting to form good habits.

Many UAE residents skip breakfast, do little exercise and eat junk food when they are stressed, despite knowing full well that such behaviour is bad for them, according to an online survey. More than 70 per cent of those who responded to the poll said they drink less water than recommended and at least one in five avoided any sort of physical activity.

More than a quarter dismissed taking vitamins as a waste. Emiratis and Indian and Arab expatriates answered questions about their health and fitness for the survey conducted by Zarca Interactive, a US-based company with offices in Dubai. Of the 300 residents who answered the survey, a third of whom identified themselves as female, 20 per cent said they did not eat breakfast. In addition, half of those who identified themselves as Emiratis said they consumed less than one large bottle of water a day, against a third of Arab expatriates and a quarter of Asian expatriates.

Dana Bardakji, a nutritionist at Dr Walaa Fakher Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi, said: "People know what it means to be healthy and know the basics, like having to exercise, having to drink plenty of water, making sure they eat breakfast. "They just don't bother making it a part of their lives unless they want to diet." More than a quarter of respondents said they do not supplement their diet with vitamins, either because of the cost or believing they were not beneficial.

As suggested by Ms Bardakji, however, awareness of what constitutes healthy eating was high, especially among those aged between 16 and 24. Less than five per cent of that group said they did not know what a healthy diet was. Nazneen Khwaja, a Dubai-based nutritionist, said UAE residents had become used to an "easy, overly luxurious lifestyle". "People never walk anymore or burn calories; they get in their air-conditioned cars to avoid the heat and head to cafes and restaurants to snack and eat, which has become their social activity," said Ms Khwaja.

"Kids and teenagers are allowed to sleep in and skip their breakfast, everyone drinks fizzy drinks and juices instead of water, and it is hard to pick up healthy habits once you've become used to being unhealthy." Last month, the World Health Organisation's Eastern Mediterranean regional office warned that the consequences of nutritional disorders in the region were "too grave to be ignored", and called for urgent action to combat obesity and diabetes.

"The results of this study make absolute sense, when you take into account the rise in chronic diseases in the UAE," said Ms Khwaja. The study also found that 16.3 per cent of respondents, most of them Emiratis, turned to comfort foods to relieve stress. More than half, mostly Asian nationals, chose electronic gadgets to relieve stress instead of physical activity. Of the third who said they exercised at least three times per week, most said their activity was walking.

"A third of the population is obese, and it is little wonder," said Ms Khwaja, who said working parents too often choose to feed their children fast food instead of home-cooked meals. @Email:[e-mail]