Sports day will improve health

Physical activity is the best way to tackle obesity and related lifestyle conditions

The second National Sports Day serves as a reminder of the important role of sport and other physical activities in our lives. Today, people from different age groups across all communities in the country will participate in the event, which was launched under the direction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in 2015.

The schedule includes a large-scale event at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi that will start with a social run or walk, followed by activities including tennis, football, basketball, rugby and polo. There will also be health and nutrition talks and ladies-only fitness classes, including spinning, yoga, Zumba and Pilates.

Children will participate through school activities and field trips. By day’s end, they should be more aware of the continued importance of physical activities even in an age when technology is taking up a substantial amount of their time.

The need for such a day is clear when we look at this country’s unacceptably high rate of obesity – about twice the global average – and related lifestyle conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. According to a global study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, 66 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women in the UAE are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity, especially, is on the rise and we need to take it more seriously. Unhealthy children become unhealthy adults, but good habits – such as healthy eating and fitness regimes – started at a young age will also stay with us for life.

Undertaking physical activity is difficult during the summer months, but that doesn’t mean that we should surrender to sedentary lifestyles.

Many activities can be undertaken indoors all year round. With the provision of adequate facilities and the encouragement of their parents, children can be involved in healthy pastimes all year round. Good health is a community project – and National Sports Day is just the start.