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Children Must Do One Hour's Exercise per Day to Prevent Heart Disease - UAE Health Experts

Recommendation on Activity Levels Comes Ahead of World Heart Day
Children should be active for at least one hour every day, and have no more than two hours of sedentary time during the same time period, if they are to be protected from developing heart disease later in life, according to medical and exercise experts.

The advice comes ahead of World Heart Day on September 27, which aims to raise global awareness that reducing childhood obesity through regular exercise, a less sedentary lifestyle, and a healthy diet is essential to reduce the risk of heart disease in adulthood.

The UAE has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world with around 22 percent of children classed as overweight and 14 percent as obese, according to the most recent international data.

A further study carried out by local researchers shows that almost half (48.8 percent) of pupils attending private secondary schools in Dubai have a "poor level of sporting practice", while one fifth (21.2 percent) do "no sport" at all.

Dr. Alya Ahmed, official UAE spokesperson for the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), and paediatrician at The City Hospital in Dubai, urged parents to encourage their children to take regular exercise and to limit the amount of time they spend watching TV and playing video games.

"Evidence-based recommendations from AAP say kids should do one hour of activity every day or most days. This covers any type of sports including running, walking, swimming, and even free play for younger children."

"The recommendation is part of the AAP's 5.2.1 rule for healthy children - it stands for five pieces of fruit and vegetables, two hours of sedentary or screen time, and one hour of activity per day," she explained.

"In the UAE we are still at the awareness stage with childhood obesity, people do not see it as a disease yet. But it is, and it is the responsibility of parents, doctors and teachers to act to prevent children from becoming overweight by encouraging them to exercise and eat healthily," Dr. Ahmed added.

At the same time access to sporting facilities for youngsters in Dubai is set to receive a huge boost with the opening of the Academies Campus at Dubai Sports City , which is due to be fully operational by January 2010.

The campus will offer up to 2,300 children per week the chance to take part in world-class coaching for football, rugby, cricket, swimming and hockey, as well as access to a running track and a hi-performance centre.

Exercise expert Tommy Wingrove, head coach at Manchester United Soccer Schools, Dubai, based in Dubai Sports City , said the facilities offered children across the UAE an unprecedented opportunity to take part in sports.

"Being active for at least one hour a day is an easy piece of advice for parents and should be easy for children to achieve, especially with the opening of more sporting facilities at Dubai Sports City . Our Academies will offer world-class sports coaching to everyone who wants to start enjoying a healthier lifestyle," he said.

"Children across the UAE need to be see exercise as a normal part of their daily lives if we are to see a reduction in the alarming rates of childhood obesity, and cut rates of heart disease in the future" he added.

The study on sporting activity in Dubai secondary schools was carried out by the Primary Healthcare Department at Dubai Health Authority, and published in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal in May - June 2008 [Volume 14, No.3].

The research on childhood obesity was carried out by the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and published in the journal Obesity Review in January 2007 [Volume 8. No 1].

-Ends-

About Dubai Sports City :
Dubai Sports City (DSC) is a $4 billion, 50 million square feet mixed-use development which will be the world's first integrated purpose-built sports city.

The development is built around five major sports venues and feature a series of major sports academy facilities.

Included within the Dubai Sports City Academies Campus is the Dubai Sports City Football Academy - the home of Manchester United Soccer Schools, Dubai; the Dubai Sports City Swimming Academy; a David Lloyd Tennis Academy; the International Cricket Council's own ICC Global Cricket Academy; the World Hockey Academy, a first of its kind partnership with the International Hockey Federation; a Rugby Academy; a high performance gymnasium; and a world-renowned sports medicine and rehabilitation centre.

Dubai Sports City is also home to Bradenton Preparatory Academy, offering a first class American College preparatory education and bespoke method of learning for every student.

For further information, please visit www.dubaisportscity.com

For more information please contact:
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Wallis Marketing Consultants,
Tel: +971 4 361 2765
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Email: Joanna.hartley@wallis-mc.com

© Press Release 2009