Fighting the fat

Al-Attar added that behavioral and environmental problems are the reason for the escalation in the number of cases. “Most of the cases of childhood obesity that go to clinics have no genetic problems or hormonal imbalances. It was the environmental factors that caused their obesity,” she told The National.

According to the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), children are required to be active for at least one hour a day; activities include running, walking, swimming, and even free play.

However, research conducted by the Dubai Health Authority that was published in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal last year claimed that more than 48 percent of students attending private secondary schools in Dubai have a “poor level of sporting practice,” while 21 percent take part in no sport activities at all.