Dubai Health Authority's smart clinic raises awareness about the dangers of childhood obesity.

• Discusses link between childhood obesity and obesity in adulthood.
• Experts ask parents to adopt a healthy lifestyle if they want their kids to be healthy.
• One third of all children in the UAE are either obese or overweight.

Dubai, UAE, July 21, 2016:  The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) held today a smart clinic to raise awareness about childhood obesity and its related health problems.

Obesity is  a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases and experts at the smart clinic focussed on the link between childhood obesity and obesity in adulthood.

According to report by the Dubai Health Authority’s Schools and Educational Institutions Unit, 33 per cent of school children from kindergarten to grade 12 across 176 private schools are either overweight or obese. Of these 14 to 16 per cent are obese.  

Dr Hamed Hussein, family and community medicine specialist in schools and educational institutions health unit at DHA, “ This statistic reveals the magnitude of the problem. This report is for the academic year 2014-2015 and once we received this report with the details of the children who suffer from obesity, our has sent parents a report which highlights the level of obesity their child suffers from and we offered them three interventional options. 

“ The first option was to register their children with the DHA’s primary healthcare centre for a weight-loss program which includes nutritional counselling. The second option was that they can seek medical intervention from the private sector, provided they update us about the child’s progress and the third option was seeking medical intervention at the school’s clinic that has a qualified healthcare team.”

Dr Hussein said the feedback  the unit received from parents has been very positive.  “ We are working with the municipality and all schools already have a list of banned foods and foods which should not be provided in school canteens. This has been in place for quite some time, however, the challenge is how to sustain a healthy eating pattern outside school hours. That’s where the role of parents becomes vital and it is not only limited to ensuring their kids eat healthy but also includes ensuring limited exposure to television and video games so that they can lead active lifestyles.”

Dr Hussein added that the DHA also works with various other entities such as Dubai Sports Council, KHDA etc. to ensure schools follow a healthy eating and exercise program for kids.

Dr Ahmed Abdou, paediatrician at Latifa Hospital, said: “Obesity and overweight are main risk factors for a number of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. However, it is important to note that obese children are more likely to be obese adults.  Therefore, our message to parents is to take childhood obesity seriously.  It is not okay to give fast foods such as fries and sugar-laden sweets to children, especially on a regular basis. It has low nutrition value and increases the fatty cells in the body.”

Dr Abdou said that obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.  “They are also more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes. Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem. In the long run, children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and osteoarthritis.”

Fighting childhood obesity:
Dr Fatima Saeed Al Khurousi, Senior Clinical Dietician at Dubai Hospital said that children should be provided healthy foods from a young age and fast-foods should be limited. Moreover, fast-foods should not be considered as a treat. “However, it is important to remember that the goal for overweight and obese children and teens is to reduce the rate of weight gain while allowing normal growth and development. Children and teens should never be placed on a weight reduction diet without the consultation of a health care provider. Parents should cut out the unhealthy fats and sweets and they should prepare their children’s favourite meals in a healthier manner. Parents should cut out juices and other unnecessary sources of sugar from their children’s diet and they should replace it with complex carbohydrates and natural sugars. They should provide their children lean sources of meat and limit portion sizes. These are simple steps that go a long way in reducing weight without compromising on your child’s growth and nutrition.”

Al Khurousi added that children’s lunch boxes should have healthy nutritious meals and finally parents need to adopt a healthy lifestyle because children mirror what they see. “At the end of the day if parents eat unhealthy meals, children will do the same. It’s as simple as that.”