ABU DHABI // Summer holidays should actually be a time to kick-start healthier habits, say nutrition experts.
“With the right mindset and forethought the summer can be a great opportunity to be healthy or even make changes and learn how to be healthy,” said Carole Holditch, founder of Good Habits, a Dubai company that provides nutrition and fitness coaching in the emirate.
Ms Holditch said children should ask what they want to achieve from their summer holiday.
“The idea is that you feel rested, healthy and ready for a new term ahead — not tired, lethargic and no energy because you have not adopted healthy, good habits,” she said. “Have a plan and routine — it can be different but without a plan you will not meet your summer goal.
“Make a daily plan for exercise if that’s here in the UAE, on holiday or visiting the family. Make it fun and different and then you are more likely to get support and stick to it.”
Ms Holditch said youngsters should also take the time to learn how to prepare healthier food, join a summer gym or activity, and set goals such as walking 10,000 steps a day.
Limiting time spent on TV and computers and sticking to normal meal times and bed times will also prevent children piling on weight, said Ms Holditch.
“Also ask how you can help your family — gardening, housework, washing the car et cetera are all activities that will keep you active and maybe help you earn some extra pocket money.”
Nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary said small changes, such as eliminating sugary drinks, can make a big difference to a child’s health.
“Go for fresh homemade juices and fruit Popsicles instead,” she said.
Parents also need to introduce healthy snacking in a way children will accept readily, said Ms Chowdhary.
“Things like fruit cracker pizzas, apple peanut butter cookies — get as innovative as you can,” she said. “Boost exercise through making your kids walk the dog, help you with grocery shopping or going for family holidays that involve camping, hiking or biking.
“All of this not only makes your children enjoy their holiday but also keeps them fit and active.”
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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