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Let's not make our kids couch potatoes

Abu Dhabi - Authorities have a responsibility on ensuring our kids lead a healthy lifestyle

Ensuring children in the capital become more active and healthy is a must, and it is not just the parent's duty, as authorities have an equal responsibility, believes Professor Doctor Maha Taysir Barakat, Director General of Abu Dhabi Health Authority (HAAD).
Dr Barakat stressed her views during the Walk 2015 '#WalkWithMeUAE' Press Conference, held on Monday morning at Yas Marina Circuit, which was the launch prior to the official walk event, to be held on November 13.

From left to right - Mazen Al Dahmani, General Manager, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Prof. Dr. Maha Taysir Barakat, Director General of HAAD, Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO of Yas Marina Circuit.
The Director General urged that the community must understand and acknowledge the importance of a child's health, as it can lead to life-long suffering, if prevention and action is not taken early.
During the conference, Dr Barakat told Khaleej Times why the topic on children's health is crucial and that it's time to step-up and take action. "Our children are our future. It's important to engage children very early on," she said.
Dr Barakat highlighted that authorities in the capital have taken dynamic initiatives on ensuring children in schools become well educated on the matters of health. "It's incredible the amount of effort that has been put into improving this issue, both from the exercise perspective and the nutritional perspective."
"Last week there was a lunch initiative, where HAAD, along with Abu Dhabi Education Council, worked on improving the child's lunchbox at school," she added.
Dr Barakat pointed out that as time is progressing, so are the ways children think when it comes to health. "Children are understanding the difference between a healthy meal and an unhealthy meal."
It is all about educating youngsters and authorities are taking action in order of meeting the vision they hope to achieve by 2030. Currently, only 27 percent of children are meeting the target of their 60-minute daily exercise, which is a great concern.
"The Education Council itself has looked at exercise in its curriculum, and we, as HAAD, will continue to work with the Education Council, to improve the times of exercise activities that are available to children. We have targets as to the minimum number of lessons children should have."
Dr Barakat noted that it takes a number of different pillars to ensure children live a healthy life. "I think it's a concerted effort, because everybody is important, whether it will be the regulator, or the schools, or the parents, or the maids, or even the community parks."
This is when civic bodies such as the Municipality, come into play, suggests Dr Barakat. "How many parks are out there? What activities are out there for children to do in the hotter months?" she asked.
"We can understand that parks are out there for the cooler months, but in the hottest months what activities are there for children to do in order to maintain their 60 minute daily exercise? Many sectors are involved in this discussion, including the Municipality."
In terms of regulation on unhealthy food, such as junk food and sugary drinks that youngsters often enjoy, Dr Barakat believes that it is a rather complex issue.
"We work really closely with Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and the bottom line is, one needs to implement evidence based on the best practice around the world. One can not just jump in and take a lateral decision to ban food, it's not like smoking were we know it's harmful," she pointed out.
This is where the challenge falls. "It's much more difficult with food. It's difficult to ban it, change the price, or create a penalty to buying it," she added.
However, Dr Barakat does note that authorities are doing what's best, in order of succeeding set targets for the future, for both adults and children. This is when she highlights the crucial aspect of avoiding diabetes, which is a common, yet preventable disease in the UAE.
"With type two diabetes, up to 80 percent of it is preventable. It's almost always related to weight gain. That's why if you lead a healthy lifestyle, then you can protect yourself."
"We continue our messages and work with all stakeholders, both on a local level, like the Education Council, and also on the federal level - with the Ministry of Health, to try and participate in health campaigns and encourage a healthy lifestyle," she added.
Although progress doesn't occur overnight, positive change can occur overtime. "All these initiatives are imbedded in the strategies. We are working to implement these with key performance indicators; there will be tracking of all the targets."
Insuring that each individual leads a healthy lifestyle is thus one's own responsibility; however, the commitments provided by authorities are also just as vital.
"We will be held accountable for delivering a 30 percent increase in physical activity by 2030. So it's now becoming very serious and agencies will be held accountable. We have to do everything we can to achieve these targets."
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com