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For a healthy generation

DUBAI - By packing healthy and nutritious lunch boxes, parents will help health authorities combat childhood obesity and raise a healthier generation, said a health official.

While authorities are ensuring that children have access to safe and nutritious food in school canteens, they want parents to pack healthy lunch boxes and hence help in developing lasting healthy eating habits for their kids.

School canteen guidelines for the provision of safe and healthy food have been fully integrated in public schools in Dubai at the start of this academic year, said a senior official from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

“Since we started making changes in 2011, the situation has changed and the results are really encouraging,” said Dr Fathia Hatim Ibrahim, Head of Health Promotion Section at the authority.

An action plan has been readied and a training workshop will be held to include the guidelines in private schools by the next academic year, said Dr Fathia.

“We want parents to play an important role in this change,” she said adding that parents will also be involved in the decision making process at a later stage.

Though the guidelines will be implemented locally as of now, a unified structure is ready awaiting approval from Ministry of Education. The authority and the Dubai Education Zone, in cooperation with the Princess Haya Initiative for the development of health, physical education and school sports and the Nestlé Healthy Kids programme, is currently training teachers in public schools about healthy nutrition.

The two-year programme called ‘Ajyal Salima’ or healthy kids was launched in 2012 in 29 schools.

Awareness initiatives for children in Grade 4 and 5 across 10 schools — in the first phase — were conducted through road shows and educational programmes. Workshops will soon be held for academicians who will integrate this programme within their classrooms. Laila Al Jassmi, CEO of Health Policy and Strategy at DHA, said: “Focussing on important groups such as children and academicians is essential because children spend several hours of their day in school and thus schools are a place where they can inculcate healthy habits that they will carry on into adulthood”.

“To ensure that students imbibe healthy eating habits in their day-to-day life, it is essential to not only educate students but also educate academicians so that they in-turn will ensure that students follow what they have learnt,” said Dr Fathia.

“We want kids to follow these habits after school as well,” she added. Kids are taught about nutrition and physical activity and also how to change their habits positively. The programme pushes for an intake of a balanced and varied diet, encouraging children to consume five or more fruits and vegetables per day. It also educates them on the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and limiting consumption of fast-foods, which are loaded with fat and sugar.

The programme also encourages children to indulge in regular physical activity and to reduce the time spent on watching television.

“Educating children on the difference between healthy and unhealthy food at a young age is very important to ensure they understand the direct link between food and health,” said Ahmad Abdul Rahman, Head of Health and PE Unit.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com