The Walk for Diabetes campaign, which is being promoted this week by former basketball superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, comes at a time when the UAE is in need of greater awareness of the benefits of healthy living. As The National has reported, 70 per cent of claims made to Abu Dhabi health insurer Daman are related to lifestyle diseases. The country's rates of obesity and diabetes continue to be among the highest in the world.
This issue is undoubtedly global, with many countries suffering from high rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease. The problem is that while humans are “programmed” to eat high-calorie food. Never before has so much been available nor have we led such sedentary lifestyles. This is especially true in developed and rapidly developing countries such as the UAE.
While this problem requires action on many fronts, schools have a particular responsibility to tackle obesity and other lifestyle-related conditions in the young. As The National reported yesterday, Dr Amer Al Kindi, health manager at Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), said during the launch of the School Health Promotion Programmes Initiative that nearly one Emirati girl in seven and one boy in nine is overweight. On top of this, one in seven of the emirate's youth smoke, 75 per cent of children aged 5 and 6 have teeth cavities, and 23.9 per cent of children between 6 and 15 have encountered some form of mental-health problem.
Significantly, Dr Al Kindi said that Adec could not address these issues on its own. His courage to admit that the problem is beyond Adec’s scope should not be seen as an excuse to do nothing, it should be viewed as an invitation for other agencies – government departments, the health sector and community groups alike – to become involved.
And, while it may not have a definitive answer, Adec can still play an important part. For example, it could initiate longer school days that involve compulsory sporting activities, which are good for both physical and mental well-being. It should certainly take steps to make parents aware of the facts and encourage them to alter their own lifestyles to set positive examples for their children. Awareness of the problem is the first step, coordinated action to tackle it is the essential follow-up.
