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Strategy Drawn to Tackle Obesity at Grass-Roots Level

DUBAI — Obese individuals in Dubai will soon be given basic treatment and counselling at primary healthcare centres as part of the Dubai Health Authority’s strategy to tackle the epidemic at a grass roots level.

The strategy will be implemented in two parts that will include raising mass awareness though campaigns and offering counselling services on an individual basis at all Dubai health centres.

“Obesity is a growing problem in the community and we, as family physicians, will offer our maximum support to tackle the issue,” Dr Osman El Labban, Family Medicine Specialist at a Mankhool health centre told Khaleej Times after his presentation at the A-Z seminar on obesity treatment organised by the Abu Dhabi University and AIM Medical Education on Wednesday.

“But we also understand that taking up each case on a one-to-one basis may not have the desired effect. That is why we need to spread the word through use of mass media,” he added.

The awareness campaign on obesity will start next month and target schools, universities, shopping malls and government institutions in the initial phase.

Dr Labban also urged the government to formulate a legislation to include screening of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes in the national insurance programmes.

“This will encourage more people to opt for annual health checkups and reduce disease burden,” he said.

Currently, health authorities are focussing on reaching out to the masses through the centres and treatments for mental health and smoking among children are already being offered here.

The school health departments are also targeting primary healthcare centres to overcome childhood obesity. According to recent ministry statistics, over 50 per cent of school children in the UAE were found to be obese.

“We want the centres to identify and measure the body mass index of all children and identify risks early on. Currently only 20 per cent of them are doing it,” said Dr Fatima Al Attar, Specialist Family Physician and Head of Community Programme Section, Public Health and Safety Department at the authority.

A study done by the authority in private schools in Dubai among 1,133 students in 2007 found that 26.7 per cent students were overweight and 12.2 per cent were obese.

The study also found that the obesity trend had dropped from 45 per cent in 2005 to 35 per cent in 2008.

“We don’t know why it has dropped but it is still a significant number,” she said.

The authority is working to implement broader regulations to lower the statistics further.

“We are working to update the school dietary guideline in cooperation with Dubai Municipality to ensure the availability and quality of healthy foods and beverages served and sold at schools and we are also developing a physical activity guideline in cooperation with Knowledge and Human Development Authority,” she added.

Healthy Choices

Food companies have been urged to provide at least two meal options to customers so as to encourage people to eat healthy.

Participants at the A-Z seminar on obesity urged lawmakers to make it mandatory for companies to offer healthy choices to consumers.

“Consumers in the UAE are not offered healthy meals,” said Dr Mariam Matroushi, Director of Health Legislation and School Health Programmes, Ministry of Health.

“We are urging the municipalities to make a mechanism whereby food companies will be forced to offer two meal choices to individuals — one ordinary and the other healthy,” said Dr Osman El Labban, Family Medicine Specialist at a Mankhool health centre.

“In this way, the choice lies with the consumer,” he said.

He also suggested a regular follow-up on the kind of food offered in schools and malls.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.ae