UAE doctors say obesity rate among children dropping

A decrease in childhood obesity has been noted by pediatricians, although studies still consistently find that 30 to 40 percent of children in school are overweight. Doctors linked the decrease in obesity rates to the UAE government's efforts, such as the implementation of "sugar taxes," and to the increased parental and child knowledge of the health risks associated with obesity. Doctors reported that 1 in 10 children are overweight based on their observations from summer health checkups and the "Back to School" campaign. Only 2 to 4 were classified to be at healthy weights; the others were either average or underweight. Dr. Mamata Bothra, a specialist in pediatrics and neonatology at Dubai's Medeor Hospital, said that the number of overweight children in the city has decreased in recent years. "Out of 10 children, 1 to 2 may be obese, and 2 to 3 may be overweight," she said. A body mass index (BMI) of weight-for-height is commonly used to classify overweight and obese adults. While a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight, anything more than or equivalent to 30 is considered obese. For children and teenagers, BMI is age and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age, where all these parameters are considered. BKM/ Expat Media
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