With great convenience come even greater costs. In recent decades, sugar has slowly crept into our diets, thanks to the availability and affordability of processed foods. Today it is the invisible ingredient in foods as innocuous as bread, cereal and yoghurt. And while health campaigns, legislation and new technologies have made some consumers more health-conscious, there is still much to be done.
As The National reported, children who consume high quantities of sugar can face withdrawal symptoms mirroring those experienced by drug addicts. So not only do fizzy drinks and sweets contribute to chronic diseases, from type two diabetes to cancer, they can create lifelong habits. That poses a significant threat to our children, not least in the UAE where obesity rates are double the global average. The fact that one in three children are either obese or overweight in this country is an indicator of the magnitude of the challenge facing government officials, schools and parents.
We should not play down the difficulties parents face in policing the sugar intake of their children. From school lunches and after school clubs to play dates and birthday parties, sugar is ubiquitous. But that is no reason not to try. And while sweets and soft drinks might be an easy way to pacify a screaming toddler, their profound lifelong consequences deserve attention. New parents should try to prevent sugar dependency from emerging in the first place. When it comes to those who are already accustomed to a sugary diet, reducing consumption little by little is the first step. So too is proper education in schools and homes.
Some pioneering schools, such as Deira International School in Dubai, have already banned caffeinated and sugary drinks. Not only can these products contribute to serious health problems, they also affect concentration levels and mood. Therefore, parents who care deeply about their children's education should look equally closely at their diets.
The knowledge that children can suffer from withdrawal symptoms akin to drug addiction should put the next tantrum by the tills into perspective. A generation of youngsters are at risk of lifelong afflictions due to excessive sugar intake. The time for action is now.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
