Qatar- Seminar calls for review of food ingredients to fight obesity

2/8/2016 9:51:02 PM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) DOHA: A seminar organised by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education ahead of National Sport Day has called for a review of the ingredients of food items to fight obesity and related health conditions.

The seminar attended by experts from the ministry Qatar University the Ministry of Culture and Sports and Aspire Foundation proposed to reduce the quantity of unhealthy ingredients in food.

Representatives from various schools also attended the event at Yarmouk Independent School.

The seminar also recommended to open sports facilities at schools to the public after school hours noting that they are not fully utilised.

Participants suggested that some sports celebrities should be involved in awareness campaigns related to sports.

The seminar called for revising the teaching methodology for physical education in schools. Citing data Ibrahim Al Aidan Director of the school said the practice of sport and physical activities shows a downward trend among schoolchildren as they grow up.

Between 90 and 95 percent of primary school children participate in sport activities in the school while the ratio drops to 70-80 percent among middle school students and further down in higher classes.

“Parents and children should be encouraged to make sport and walking as part of their lifestyle” said Al Aidan.

Abdul Rahman Mosallam Al Dosari Head National Sport Day Committee at the Ministry of Culture and Sports said Qatar is among the countries with a high obesity rate and one quarter of children and 17 percent of elders are diabetic or prone to it.

Fuad Al Madahka from Aspire Hospital said only 23 percent of the Qatari population practice walking which is a very low rate while 40 percent of children suffer from obesity and 75 percent are obese or overweight.

The Peninsula

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