It is enough to fill some parents with horror – while others might see it simply as expressing their love. Toddlers as young as one are being packed off to nursery with leftover Popeye's fried chicken, stale French fries, cupcakes and tinned sausages. Staff at Blooming Buds nursery in Abu Dhabi were so appalled by the sugary, fat-filled treats they found in children's lunchboxes that they began outsourcing catering to a healthy eating firm supplying organic lunches and snacks.
The nursery is almost certainly not the only institution facing an ongoing battle to educate children – and their parents – on healthy eating. More than one third of children in the UAE are obese, meaning they run a greater risk of developing conditions such as diabetes and heart disease in later life. Last month gastroenterologist Dr Ahmad Jarrar from Sheikh Khalifa Medical City said the hospital was planning to offer gastric balloon treatment to children as young as 11 to deal with the burgeoning obesity epidemic. The procedure involves inserting a balloon filled with saline solution down the throat into the stomach to make the patient feel fuller and lose up to 15 per cent of their body weight. It is an extreme, shockingly invasive procedure but tragically, it is no longer unusual. In the UK where the treatment was trialled, children had to weigh a minimum of 88kg, double the average body weight for their age, but there was no shortage of candidates.
The parents packing their children off to nursery with lunchboxes filled with fattening snacks no doubt think they are merely treating their offspring and showing how much they love them – but it is the kind of love that could eventually kill them. Toddlers are too young to be making sensible choices about what food they eat. It is up to parents to show them by example and by controlling what they eat, they can spare them a life of misery and ill health. It is all too easy to develop bad habits, particularly at a young age and a lot harder to shake them once they are learned behaviour. The nursery in question has begun an awareness campaign to teach parents how to make healthier choices for their children. That is a start. What children learn at nursery, school and home will be ingrained in them for life. Parents who make better decisions about what they eat early on are helping ensure that life is a longer, healthier one for their child.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Meydan Sprint Group 2 US$175,000 1,000m
Winner: Ertijaal, Jim Crowley (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap $60,000 1,400m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Handicap $160,000 1,400m
Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group 3 $200,000 2,000m
Winner: Folkswood, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile Group 2 $250,000 1,600m
Winner: Janoobi, Jim Crowley, Mike de Kock
9.25pm: Handicap $125,000 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
