Teenagers warned over slimming drugs

AL AIN // Teenagers who perceive themselves to be overweight or obese have admitted using slimming drugs, according to latest research. Almost a thousand pupils aged between 13 and 19 responded to the survey by a team from UAE University in Al Ain. Doctors have warned that adolescents could be at serious risk of damaging their health if they are buying slimming drugs over the counter without consulting a doctor, or obtaining the drugs without a prescription.

Of the students who considered their weight an issue, 88 per cent of them were actively trying to slim. More than 50 per cent of them exercised, 20 per cent dieted and 14 per cent did both. Worringly, one per cent admitted to using slimming drugs of some kind. "We would like to believe that these were prescribed by a doctor. If they have access to slimming drugs without a prescription that can be a health issue," said Dr Jihan al Shehhi, one of the three researchers from the university.

However, the study did not investigate which drugs pupils were taking and whether they were prescribed. There are numerous diet pills and supplements freely available in pharmacies, some claiming to help with weight loss by being a "natural" fat blocker and fat burner. An investigation by The National last year found that prescription-only medication to treat obesity was being sold over the counter, breaking federal laws. "Any drug advertising weight-loss carries significant, and sometimes serious, side effects," said Dr Walid Kaplan, chairman of paediatrics at Tawam Hospital, responding to the findings.

"There is no safe medicine to make people lose weight. Drugs labelled as fat burners have not been approved for use in children. Even when they are used in adult patients there are significant cardiac side-effects." The statistics also indicated that problems with body image are becoming a concern in the UAE, with 33 per cent of pupils of normal weight believing they are overweight or obese. "Many normal females have a perception that they are overweight," said Dr al Shehhi. "Girls attempted to lose weight more than boys. This arises from concerns about body image. Nowadays females have more concerns about body image because of the media."

This week a child obesity campaign under the patronage of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein and involving UNICEF was announced. From April 20 to July 20, parents and policy makers will be educated through the "Fat Truth" campaign about the dangers of excess weight. The Al Ain researchers also discovered that 20 per cent of the children they questioned were obese and a further 16 per cent medically overweight. The classifications are based on body mass index (BMI), or weight/height ratio.

A figure of 18.5 to 25 is deemed normal, while 25 to 30 is regarded as medically overweight, and over 30, obese. More than twice as many children of UAE nationals were recorded as obese than non-UAE children - 26 per cent compared to 12 per cent, according to the study. Boys were more likely to be affected than girls. A quarter of males had problems with their weight compared to 15 per cent of girls.

The boys also ate outside the home more often, consuming fizzy drinks and fast food far more than their female peers , while sedentary lifestyles were also taking their toll. Studies show that obese children tend to grow into obese adults, said the UAE University researchers. "As a result of growing urbanisation and nutrition transition, the prevalence of childhood obesity in the UAE has increased especially during the last few years," said the report.

"Our country is growing so fat we cannot catch a breath," said Dr al Shehhi. Being overweight or obese has been directly linked to serious conditions such as diabetes, cardiac disease and hypertension. She said: "There is also a negative social and psychological effect on children who are obese. It affects their interactions and they have a greater tendency to withdraw." The damaging effects escalate the longer a person remains in this condition.

"A child who is obese at a younger age has an 80 per cent chance of being corrected as opposed to a 15-year-old child where the percentage drops to 20 per cent. "The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to bring them back where they should be. "There is a lack of knowledge, a lack of support, and a lack of supervision," said Dr Shehhi. "No one is claiming responsibility for what is available to children inside and outside school. If adults lived in that environment, many of us would end up obese."

She said that such children needed access to professionals, such as personal trainers and dieticians, to help them make the right decisions. "Many of them just follow diets from the internet or their friends," said Rania Halawani, a nutritionist based in Dubai. "Many of them will do the diet but because it is not suitable for them they won't lose the weight. Sometimes the diets are too difficult to sustain."

The university researchers made several recommendation based on their survey: further studies to look at other possible causes of obesity in the population; comprehensive research on children's lifestyle habits; early interventions aimed at improving diet and activity in childhood; healthy lifestyle education and increased funding for public health campaigns aimed at obesity prevention. amcmeans@thenational.ae