Residents in Ras Al Khaimah are being called upon to lose weight as part of a challenge that offers up to Dh500 for every kilogramme lost.
The RAK Biggest Weight Loser Challenge began on Saturday, in association with the Ministry of Health and Prevention, and is open to all the emirate’s residents over the age of 18.
The 10-week programme aims to encourage participants to make positive changes in their lifestyles to prevent risks associated with being overweight.
“The main aim is to motivate UAE residents to re-route their dietary and exercise habits so that they lead a healthier lifestyle eventually,” said Dr Raza Siddiqui, chief executive of Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director.
“Ten weeks is a long time to build a habit, and I’m confident that once people experience the value of a healthy life, they will never go back to their old ways”.
Obesity is among the greatest health concerns in the UAE with some 70 per cent of men and 67 per cent of women aged 15 years or older considered overweight, the ministry said.
Unhealthy eating habits and socio-economic factors are among the largest contributors for growing obesity rates.
“Excess weight can cause many serious complications and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and sugar, high cholesterol and increase the chances of having strokes and heart diseases,” said Dr Ruba Elhourani, clinical dietitian at RAK hospital.
“Changing your lifestyle and eating habits can definitely help more than following a strict diet for a short period of time. Losing weight gradually is much better and heathier than losing weight fast and in a short period,” said Dr Elhourani.
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Upon registration, participants will be examined by a doctor who will record their height, weight, BMI and blood pressure. Participants will be given a weekly diet plan along with a list of exercise suggestions. Their weight will be monitored every week and the final weigh in will be held at RAK Hospital. Two winners will be awarded the cash prize with runner up prizes including gym vouchers and annual health packages and spa vouchers at the hospital.
“The competition will encourage the participants to but more efforts and stick to the schedule and if they did follow the programme for 10 weeks it's most probable that it will become their new lifestyle and will get used to it more and more,” said Dr ElHourani.
“They can lose up to one kilogramme per week and it will be considered within the safe range of losing weight,” she said.
Losing her pregnancy weight, kick-starting a healthier lifestyle and being able to fit into her old dresses are just some of the reasons why Anu Mol is taking part in the challenge.
The 40-year-old mother-of-two used to weigh 65kg but gained 15kg after giving birth to her second child and says she is now struggling to shed the excess pounds.
“I work for long hours and I didn’t dedicate some time for exercising until last month when I started running around the neighbourhood for around 30 minutes but my food habits are still the same so I decided to take part in the challenge,” said Ms Mol, who works as a nurse.
“I am aiming to lose around 8 to 10 kg and follow their instructions. I don’t aim to find a fast solution instead I want to change my eating habits and live a better life with good health and a body that can fit in any dress,” she said.
Ms Mol said an old Indian tradition also contributed to her weight gain.
“My mother made me eat a lot while pregnant as part of the tradition and also after giving birth to help with breastfeeding.
“These are all old traditions that sometimes makes the situation worse. Also a lot of our traditional food contains bad carbohydrates and should be replaced with something healthier,” she said.
Another participant said she wasn’t incentivised by the money, rather hoped the challenge would help her kick-start a healthier lifestyle by losing the weight she has gained over the last six months.
“It’s not about the money it’s about becoming healthier and fit, and sometimes in order to accomplish those you need some competition and encouragement,” said Bareerah Sahir, a 26-year-old Pakistani medicine student.
“I used to weigh 57kg last August but now I’m 74kg.
“Our food contains a lot of carbohydrates and it should be controlled, therefore a diet that actually replaces the bad eating habits with good and healthy ones is the thing that I’m hoping to stick to forever,” said Ms Sahir.
The premise of the challenge is not new to the country. In 2013, Dubai Municipality introduced the 'Your Weight In Gold' campaign which encouraged participants to lose weight, offering at least a gram of gold for every kilogramme lost.
The incentive proved a success with more than 3,000 dieters shedding almost 17,000kg during the six-week challenge in its first year.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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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.”
Company Profile
Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
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How to avoid crypto fraud
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- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
