Dubai schools are going under the microscope for a serious healthy makeover.
The Dubai Health Authority has designed a plan to help school kids get exercise and start eating right.
The goal? To get childhood obesity in Dubai from 14.4 percent down to 12 percent by year 2021 as part of the UAE National Health Agenda Vision 2021. Currently, schools don’t have any regulations on what kids should eat, so as kids will do- they are eating not so great.
The new programmes should be able to change things as it encourages schools to provide healthy meal options, show that students are getting the five required portions of fruits and vegetables per day, as well as make sure that kids are getting at least 150 minutes of physical exercise per week. The plan is also very comprehensive, other policies will require schools to also provide a psychological counsellor so that kids have access to mental health information and help, to make sure immunisations are up to date, and keep a detailed health database.
We can’t wait to see the DHA make Dubai healthier, one school at a time.