ABU DHABI // Childhood obesity is a rapidly growing "epidemic" and the Government has to get involved to help overcome it, health care experts said yesterday.
"The infrastructure is toxic for our childhood obesity crisis," said Dr Serah Theuri, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at Zayed University. "The epidemic is moving at a faster rate than we can find solutions for," she told medical professionals at the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress.
She said a combination of unhealthy food and lack of exercise was pushing up children's weights, but the solution did not only lie with the children themselves.
"The issue doesn't lie with the individual, the environment has a lot to do with it," Dr Theuri said. "Paediatric obesity is not an individual child's problem but a problem that involves the whole family, the whole community."
Environmental factors play a large role in public health because they could influence people to make healthy decisions, said Dr Eric Breton, assistant professor of natural science and public health at Zayed University.
"We have to understand that everyone is integrated into a social environment," he said. "We can't change unless others around us change as well.
"We are not looking for a revolution. We are looking for people to integrate moderate changes."
Urging the government to become more involved and introduce remedial programmes, such as banning TV food ads targeting children and introducing easy-to-read food labels, he said: "For small behaviour changes we need major policy reforms."
Both speakers said urban planning should encourage people to walk around the city and leave their cars at home.
Dr Theuri said promoting exercise was one of the main ways to reduce children's weight, but noted that there were not enough places in the city for children to play.
"We live in a country that has beautiful parks, but often it is too hot for children to play.
"If we can build the biggest building in the world, then surely we can build a climate-controlled play area."
More studies are needed before the government could begin to make policy changes, Dr Theuri said.
"The total causes of obesity are almost immeasurable."
There is almost no data available on the number of children in the UAE who are obese or overweight.
There have been small studies but no comprehensive national survey.
The Ministry of Health announced in September that it would test the mental and physical health of children in the northern Emirates. The results are due to be released next month.
"There are not enough studies, so we need to collaborate," Dr Theuri said.
A study completed in 2006 found that 13.7 per cent of children in the Gulf region were obese, and another 21.5 per cent were overweight.
Professionals have expressed concern about the effect of a generation of overweight children on the UAE's health care system.
"They will grow into obese adults and present with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease," Dr Theuri said. "The quality of life in the whole nation will go down."
amcmeans@thenational.ae
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Company%20Profile
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Jawan
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Company%20Profile
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.