Battle of Bulge

The editorial on child obesity was an eye opener (“Parents are the first line of defence in child obesity fight”, Gulf News, December 21). The newspaper has truly pointed out that obesity among children has become a serious cause for concern in the UAE. Most of the children are either overweight or obese. The reasons are aplenty including lack of exercise, excessive eating and frequent intake of junk food.

Since obesity can lead to a number of diseases, we should take care about this. However, the fight against obesity is not possible until and unless parents take part in it too. Parents are often seen to pamper children by over-feeding them and allowing them to have junk food frequently. Many parents are so busy that they forget what their children are eating and the consequences of this.

However, the responsibility also lies with the school authorities. They must realise that the well-being of children depends on their food intake. Groceries, supermarkets and school canteens are filled with oily snacks, sweets and other food items that may affect health of the children. The authorities should carry out awareness campaigns more frequently and ask school managements to make sports activities mandatory for all students. After all, this battle of bulge can be won only by collective efforts.

(Published in Gulf News on December 28, 2015)