Nutrition in Government School Children in the United Arab Emirates - Term Paper Example

Nutrition in UAE Government School Children Name Institution Date Introduction Across the world health nutrition has continuously been the talk of the day where dieticians and nutritionist progressively advise people on the importance of health eating. This has been termed as important especially in the innovation of genetically modified foods technology where individuals appear reluctant to embrace the technology. As such, nutrition entails health eating thus adequately nourishment of the body cells with enough nutrients needed to support life as argued by American School Health Association (1997). Indeed, health eating provides the body with needed kilocalories and as such, the body is able to carry out its metabolic activities efficiently and hence productivity of human being. Moreover, health eating patterns especially during childhood as well as adolescence facilitate childhood health, physical growth and most importantly healthy intellectual growth and development. In this regard, health nutrition is vital to human body especially children and adolescence as it helps eliminate/eradicate malnutrition cases such as iron deficiency anemia, obesity, diabetes as well as long term health problems such cardiovascular diseases, cancer, stroke and renal diseases (American School Health Association, 1997). This paper, therefore, intends to explore nutritional situation of children in UAE (Government School) and at the same time provide recommendations necessary. United Arab Emirates country is a rich country which earns it revenue from oil as it has rich oil deposits. As such, its citizen mostly enjoys quality life and hence most of the nutritional cases originate from over-nutritional malnutrition. Most government schools children suffer malnutritional cases which range from obesity to overweight hence predisposing them to delivertive disorders of obesity such as cardiovascular disorders. In fact, according to Bell (2013) among 1,440 children and adolescent between the ages of 6 and 19, 14.2 percent were found to be overweight while 19.8 percent were found obese. While over weight was observed to be more prevalent in female children, obesity was predominant in male children. At the same time, it was observed that most of the victims of either obesity or overweight also had cases of hypertension (high blood pressure). Further Bell (2013) in his research observed that obesity in school children was motivated by obese parents. Indeed, if parents or care gives were obese the child was 30 percent likely to be obese or overweight just like the parent. Over nutritional cases in most of the government school children can be blamed on the interplay of high junk food intake and lack of responsibility by parents. According to Lewis (2013) forty percent of UAE parents admitted giving into their children’s’ demand for junk food. In fact junk food encourages children to eat more given their fat, sugar and salt as they appeals to a children primordial tastes. At the same time, junk contain a lot of kilocalories and barely contains nutrients needed to nourish the body cells. Indeed according to Lewis (2013) study most children UAE rely on junks foods as most of them are given the choice to choose the type of foods to eat by their parents hence making nutrition in government schools to be poor. Unlike private schools, malnutrition in government schools is worsened by the lack of a conclusive food program where children are feed from school and as such children usually have a choice of buying food while hungry. Nutritionists and dieticians have observed that children consume more calories and fewer nutrients for the rest of the day after consuming junk food. (Lewis, 2013) Junk food comes with a lot of health complication on an individual’s body affecting both physical health and psychological health. Clogging of arteries happens after long term consumption of junk foods. At the same time junk food as well as foods containing high sugar contents depletes energy level and also the capacity to concentrate for a long period of time (Lewis, 2013). In this regard, junk food provides energy in the form of kilocalories which is utilized by the body in a high rate compared to proper foods kilocalories. As such, junk food alone causes lack of concentration in class hence impacting on the scholarly performance. Moreover eating food which is usually rich in antioxidants such as fruits and vegetable as well as health fats ensures positive moods and energy (Lewis, 2013). On the contrary, junk food/fast food unlike normal food lacks the benefit hence accelerating the chances of an individual risk to depression. Additionally, junk food strips off a child healthy food as the sugary and spicy food is though to be better and nutritious hence giving a child trouble to resume or adjust to normal food. Further, in many cases junk food lack fiber a vital nutrient mostly to children and as such they cause constipation a phenomenon that causes discomfort and abdominal pain as well (Lewis, 2013). While junk food has been known to cause irritability due to fluctuations in blood glucose in children, it has also been observed to alter children sleeping and waking up cycles. Fast food especially beverages such as soft drinks usually contains caffeine which acts as a stimulant hence causing sleeping habits as well as negatively affecting metabolism of the body. (Lewis, 2013) Given the high level of kilocalories in junk food the body is provided with excess energy in blood glucose which is mostly converted to liver glycogen and muscle glycogen and if further in excess it is converted into fats and deposited in the adipose tissues. This happens under the influence of hormones released by the pancrease that facilitate the homeostasis of blood glucose in the human body usually referred to insulin. Consequently, increase in blood fats raises the body mass index hence increasing the weigh as well as putting one at a high risk of obesity. In fact high body fats are highly associated with blood cholesterol. In this regard blood cholesterol is soft, fat-like substance found in the blood stream as well as body cells. While the body synthesis it own blood cholesterol, an individual can increase blood cholesterol levels and in most cases the added blood cholesterols happens to of the bad type commonly referred to as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. With obesity which comes about due to high blood cholesterol particularly the LPD cholesterol, the body usually becomes vulnerable to many health complications (Fontaine & Barofsky, 2001). For instance obesity is highly associated with cardiovascular disorders such as high blood pressure (hypertension) which results from interplay of several factors. Blood cholesterol can build up on arteries hence causing blood pressure to increase as the lumen of the arteries progressively narrows. At the same time obesity comes about with increase in fat cells and as such as additionally fat tissues need nourishment hence requiring more blood circulated to the fat tissues. Further, this raises the hearts workload as blood is need in the additional blood vessels. In turn, the heart increases its pressure resulting in high hypertension. In the recent past there have been close association of hypertension with renal health complications with many researches claiming that endovascular disorders complicates renal heal complication. Equally obesity is the major cause of diabetes and most precisely diabetes type two (Sandhu et al, 2006). Indeed, this comes about when obesity causes resistance to insulin a hormone responsible of maintaining the blood sugar levels. Additionally, obesity in mostly responsible for chronic heart dieses hence causes high mortality rates across the world (Lobstein Baur & Uauy, 2004). Such disease includes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), coronary artery, and stroke in case of blood clot due to inhibition of blood from flowing. Moreover obesity can cause heart attacks as well as sleep apnea and respiratory breathing difficulties. Sleep apnea is usually known to interrupts sleeping as it causes people to stop breathing for brief periods. Hypertension is also responsible for sleep apnea as well. Cancer is also associated with obesity especially to women putting them at a high risk of breast cancer, colon, gallbladder and finally uterus. On the other hand obese men usually have a high risk of prostrate cancer and colon cancer. Another obesity health complication is the common metabolic syndrome Flynn et al (2006). This is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases consisting mainly of six major components. As such, the components include abdominal obesity, elevated blood cholesterol, increase blood pressure as well as high insulin intolerance. Indeed, obesity account for the high number of health complication among young and adolescent children in UAE among and also the many health issues among young adult hence high mortality rate (Lewis, 2013) . In fact, a lot of attention is being given to the issue with policy makers taking action before it’s too late which have led to launching of such programs as Dubai cares which is a program meant to give government schools children nutritionally sensitive food. Although obesity and overweigh to some cases is genetically motivated, health programs needs to be established so as to keep obesity in school children in check always. Conclusion School health eating programs can facilitate the attainment full educational potential and good health in children and adolescents. Indeed it Promotes health growth and intellectual developments hence acting as the basis of future development. Malnutrition cases such obesity and overweight observed in UAE government schools leads to poor academic achievements as it interferers with the cognation process of the children negatively as seen in the above research. As the future parents and the basis of the society, children should be protected from malnutrition cases and more importantly taught the culture of good nutrition hence ensuring health future generation. Such programs as Dubai Cares should be introduced in many schools in the world as it ensure that children access health nutrition and therefore tremendously reducing the rising mortality rate of children due to malnutrition. References American School Health Association, (1997). Guidelines for School Health Programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating. Journal of School Health. Vol. 67, Issue 1, pp 9–26, 1997 Bell J., (2013). One child in three is overweight or obese, UAE study shows. The national. Retrieved on 27th October 2013 from Lewis R., (2013). The immediate effect fast food has on children. The national. Retrieved on 27th October 2013 from Lobstein T. Baur L & Uauy R., (2004). Obesity in children and young people: a crisis in public health. Obesity Reviews. Vol. 5 issue1, pp 4–85 Flynn M. & et al., (2006). Reducing obesity and related chronic disease risk in children and youth: a synthesis of evidence with ‘best practice’ recommendations. Obesity Reviews. Vol 7, Issue issue 1, pp 7–66 Sandhu J. & et al., (2006). The impact of childhood body mass index on timing of puberty, adult stature and obesity: a follow-up study based on adolescent anthropometry recorded at Christ's Hospital (1936–1964). International Journal of Obesity.vol 30, issue 10, pp 14– 22. Fontaine K. & Barofsky I., (2001). Obesity and health-related quality of life. Obesity Reviews. Vol. 2, Issue 3, pp 173–182 Read More