An investigation of children's fitness levels, published recently in the medical journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, makes worrying reading for parents. Sport experts from the University of Essex in Britain staged fitness tests on 300 10-year-old boys and girls in 1998 and another 300 in 2008. The second group came up markedly less fit, with the researchers concluding that an average 10yearold child in 1998 could have beaten 95 per cent of today's youngsters in running contests.
One of the most significant findings was that sedentary lifestyles - with children slumped on the sofa watching television or glued to their games consoles - were making children less fit, even among those who are not obese. The research team focused on Chelmsford, an affluent town in Britain with traditionally low levels of obesity, to illustrate the point that being a normal or healthy weight does not necessarily equate to being fit.
Gavin Sandercock, a lecturer in clinical physiology at the University of Essex and the study's lead author, said: "We focused on Chelmsford because you typically don't have high levels of obesity in affluent areas, so that wouldn't overly influence the results. "For the test, we looked at the kids' cardiorespiratory fitness to see how well they could run, using the 20-metre shuttle run - a widely used measure of fitness - and were taken aback by the results."
Sandercock says that globally, over the 10-year period, children's fitness has declined by about four per cent. This is commonly blamed on rising obesity, because the children's extra weight makes it difficult for them to run. "The surprising thing was that our children didn't put on weight over that period - girls actually got a bit thinner in this population. But their fitness still dropped, by seven per cent in boys and nine per cent in girls, which was double the rate we expected."
The danger, says Sandercock, is that our focus on obesity is obscuring the long-term health risks of declining fitness levels, which are "large and worrying". Although children in the UAE face slightly different health challenges from their counterparts in the UK and US, there are many similarities, too. A study carried out by local researchers last year, published in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, found that 48.8 per cent of pupils attending private secondary school in Dubai had a "poor level of sporting practice", with 21.2 per cent doing no sport at all. This lack of activity, allied to alarming obesity levels, is potentially bad news for children in the Emirates.
In contrast to the situation in Sandercock's study, obesity is a major factor in the UAE, which has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world. About 22 per cent of children are classed as overweight, and 14 per cent as obese. One of the main risk factors for both obesity and poor fitness levels is diabetes, as Dr Maha Barakat, medical and research director at the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, in Abu Dhabi, confirms: "Type 2 diabetes is mainly brought on by an unhealthy, inactive lifestyle and weight gain," he says. "In recent years, we have seen a rapid spread over all age groups. Recent studies show a rise in obesity cases among schoolchildren and young adults.'
Clearly, no parents would wish ill health upon their children. In fact, as any mother or father who has endured sleepless nights by a feverish child's bedside knows, we will do anything in our power to keep them safe and well. The problem is, if all your children's friends are sedentary, TV/PlayStation/junk-food-loving creatures, it's a real struggle to drag them off the sofa or out of their bedrooms and get them running around.
So, what's the solution? Barakat feels that progress is being made. "We believe the UAE is taking steps in the right direction by planning various nutrition and physical activity programmes, in addition to driving public-awareness campaigns. Diabetes is now top of the country's list of health concerns and is being tackled through awareness and lifestyle changes." However, Barakat argues that more can be done. "Schools can definitely help by supporting healthy-eating messages," he says. "All schools should serve nutritious, balanced meals and should encourage the children to be physically active, even outside the allocated school time for physical exercise."
One of the key messages to parents is that, when it comes to children's fitness, "screen time" is the enemy. This encompasses television, video games, computers, hand-held consoles and even smartphones like BlackBerries or iPhones. Dr Alya Ahmad, the UAE spokeswoman for the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) and a paediatrician at the City Hospital in Dubai, believes parents must encourage their children to take regular exercise and limit their daily screen time to a couple of hours.
"The AAP recommends that kids should do an hour of activity every day," she says. "This can be running, walking, swimming or free play for younger children. It's part of the AAP's 5.2.1 rule for healthy children: five pieces of fruit and vegetables, two hours of sedentary or screen time and one hour of activity per day." This echoes the advice of UK experts such as Dr Charmaine Griffiths, of the British Heart Foundation. "Physical activity is good for your child's mind, body and soul," she says. "While you may have to drag your son or daughter away from their latest computer game, allowing them to lead a sedentary lifestyle could have long-term implications for their health."
Griffiths points out the many health benefits enjoyed by active children, which include strengthening the heart, muscles and bones, reducing the risk of chronic disease later in life, reducing body fat, raising self-esteem, improving their social development while reducing anxiety and stress, and increased opportunity to mix with other children and make friends. "Children and young people should aim to participate in physical activity for 60 minutes a day," says Griffiths. "They need to do moderate-intensity activity like walking, dancing, games, swimming, cycling, sport or active play. And they should take part in activities which enhance and maintain muscular strength, flexibility and bone health at least twice a week, such as skipping, jumping, climbing or gymnastics."
Of course, there's a vicious cycle here, in that it's harder for obese or overweight children to take part in these activities, and heavier kids may be embarrassed or unwilling to join in with team sport or other group activity. However, a groundbreaking Swedish programme may offer a solution. The Mandometer is a hi-tech device developed by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and comprises a portable electronic scale connected to a small computer, which generates a graphic representation of a patient's eating rate during a meal. With the help of feedback from the Mandometer, a patient can learn to eat normally by adapting his or her eating speed.
The device was recently tested on overweight children at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, with great success. Per Södersten, a professor of neuroendocrinologic behavioural science, who helped to develop the Mandometer, explains how it works: "The Mandometer provides real-time feedback on a computer screen that guides the patient to eat a proper amount of food in the right period of time. It's especially effective for people with 'binge-eating disorder', but can be used with any kind of problematic eating."
What was the thinking behind it? "There is nothing wrong with someone who becomes obese," Södersten says. "Our biology allows us to eat more than needed when food is in abundant supply - people get obese when food is easily and cheaply available. Humans are not equipped to regulate their body weight automatically; they need external support. That is where the Mandometer comes in." While technology offers innovative ways to deal with the epidemic of obesity, Sandercock remains concerned about falling fitness levels among children. He thinks we all share responsibility for our children's health and urges action to halt the decline. "I think we need a cultural shift at every level, from parents to schools and right up to government level."
One problem that he identifies is "that we're so risk-averse now". He adds: "There are more hospital admissions for kids with RSI, from overusing video-game controllers, than for broken wrists. Obviously, no one wants their child to break an arm, but this shows how unwilling we are to let kids climb trees or play outside." It is not easy being a parent, and it's certainly not easy to raise active offspring in a world that seems designed to foster poor eating habits and sedentary leisure. But children naturally have bags of energy and love to run around and play - all we really need to do is encourage them.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Easter%20Sunday
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
SHAITTAN
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RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
