How the UAE can reduce the prevalence of obesity among the youth?- a health policy perspective

Abstract

Adv Obes Weight Manag Control 2017, 6(2): 00150 Abstract Nutritional health is a global concept and fosters much debate. The UAE youths' frequency of being more obese is twice to be thrice greater than the published international standards. The United Arab Emirates schoolchildren/youth (ages 10-18) are said to be 1.8 times more obese than those in the United States, according to statistics from the First United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. According to World Health Organisation report, the UAE has been classified as the second highest for obesity rates in the world. As a result of these obesity statistics among the youths, there are associated diseases, which tend to plague the UAE adults later including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension and others. The Global School-based Student Health Survey highlighted on the increasing prevalence of obesity in UAE in terms of measuring the dietary behaviors and physical activity of students in grades 8 to 10. The theoretical framework for this policy brief will be the Health Belief Model. Therefore, this policy brief highlights the public health issue within the UAE context is obesity among the youths, and the framework for implementing a public health campaign among the UAE youths, whereby, contributing to attaining one of the UAE Vision 2021 National agenda targets for reducing the prevalence of obesity.