GCC nationals discuss ways of getting region’s youth healthier

The GCC workshop on Health, Sports and Entertainment brought together experts from all six GCC countries to brainstorm ideas on how to get youths more interested in a healthier lifestyle.

One suggestion raised at the workshop was to ban the sale of tobacco near schools. Pawan Singh / The National

DUBAI // More than 200 young GCC nationals gathered to discus ways to encourage people in the region to be more healthier and active.

The GCC workshop on Health, Sports and Entertainment brought together experts from all six GCC countries to brainstorm ideas on how to get young people more interested in a healthier lifestyle.

The two-day workshop, organised by the secretariat general of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC-SG), kicked off on Sunday at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Dubai.

“We are aiming at improving the lives of people in the GCC,” said Dr Nizar Al Saleh, a science consultant and head of the committee of experts running the workshop. “According to the World Health Organisation, 63 per cent of deaths annually are due to noncontagious diseases resulting from lack of active lifestyle, bad diet, smoking, or alcohol,” he said.

“It is very important for government in the GCC to provide the facilities for activity.”

Dr Abdullah bin Uqla Al Hashim, assistant secretary general for Human and Environment Affairs at the GCC-SG, said: “We want to get the youth more active, and so we want them to tell us how best we can do that.

“After the workshop all the ideas will be discussed by a committee made up of the youths and experts in the field of health and sport.”

The participants were put in small groups and asked to come up with ideas that would effect change in the lifestyles of young men and women in the GCC.

Across the board, it was suggested that health studies be part of the school curriculum from an early age and through to secondary school.

“Firstly we have to make it clear that being active does not mean you have to go the gym and play sport,” said Dr Al Ghamdi. “Small changes in your daily habit can greatly increase your physical activity. Use the stairs instead of the lift at the office, or walk to the mosque, maybe even go to the mosque a bit farther away.”

Dana Ali, 21, a PE teacher from Bahrain, said that facilitating areas for women to take up exercise was a major issue.

“Boys can exercise anywhere, but in our culture it is difficult for a woman to find somewhere she can exercise, that’s a major obstacle for us.

“For the longest time we’ve been restricted to exercising at home. But also we have to realise that having children is not an excuse not to find time to be active.”

She also suggested opening gyms for children.

Some of the ideas emerging from the groups ranged from activity days to employers rewarding workers with a day off for annual health checks.

“We can look at implementing a Gulf Activities day,” said Abdulaziz Al Yasi, from the UAE. “People can get the day off work if they spend it participating in an activity or sport.”

“Government departments and private companies can implement annual health checks which grades those who are the healthiest in the company and rewards them,” said Ali Al Khalid from Bahrain.

“For example, non-smokers can be assigned better parking spots than smokers.”

He also said that awareness campaigns should take advantage of social media, but find new ways to spread their message.

Other suggestions included banning the sale of tobacco near schools, privatising school canteens and awarding contracts to companies that would provide healthier meals, and taxing parents whose children were overweight or not in shape.

“There is good participation here but I really hope that these ideas don’t go to waste, I hope they implement them throughout the GCC and not just some countries,” said Abeer Khalifa Al Lingawi, 39, a government employee from Kuwait.