(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) Healthy Children 2021, an initiative of the National Programme for Government Communication, has the highly laudable motto of creating a strong and robust society, said a UAE daily.
The fact that none other than Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, took part in the "Let's Walk" march, held as part of the campaign, highlights the eagerness of the authorities to promote the noble goal.
"Let's Walk aims to encourage a healthy lifestyle in the UAE society through community engagement activities involving children and their parents," said The Gulf Today in an editorial today.
Launched last January, the drive continues until mid-April. The campaign includes a number of events and awareness drives such as "Let's Run" in which school students take part in the activities across the country.
It's heartening to note Sheikh Mohammed's assertion that children's health is the focus of the government's plan, which aims to support them in all areas considering that they are the main pillars of growth and development.
Children need to adopt an active lifestyle by participating in physical activities. Their contribution is vital to making the UAE one of the best countries in the world by 2021.
As Sheikh Mohammed put it, it is the responsibility of everyone to promote healthy lifestyle practices, and the best time to instil this is at a young age. It also makes great sense that as a dedicated pillar to address the challenge of obesity among children in the UAE, the campaign aims to reduce obesity levels to 12 per cent by 2021.
Experts have offered valuable health tips to children: make sure you exercise for an hour daily, make sports a part of your daily routine, make sure you drink water throughout the day and always keep a bottle of water with you when you exercise, dancing can help lose weight, maintain strong bones and muscles and offer other benefits.
One important caution by experts is also that children who do not eat breakfast have a higher risk of weight gain and obesity. No society that is lacking on the health front can progress well. A fit country is a blessed country. After all, health is wealth.
"As the UAE has made glorious achievements in varied fields standing out as a model for others to emulate, its citizens and residents should now strive to bring the nation among the top healthiest in the world," the Sharjah-based daily concluded.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.