English final presentation Nabil

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Obesity

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Project

Problem & Solution

Many people today in the UAE are obese or seriously overweight. Why, and what can be done about it?

Introduction:

Obesity: in statistics

People are getting fatter almost everywhere in the world. The World Health Organization predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese. Figures for 2005 show 1.6 billion adults were overweight and 400 million were obese. People are getting fatter almost everywhere in the world. The World Health Organization predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese. Figures for 2005 show 1.6 billion adults were overweight and 400 million were obese. Obesity is a modern problem - statistics for it did not even exist 50 years ago. The increase of convenience foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and more sedentary jobs means people are getting fatter.

BMI Explained

The body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly-used way of classifying overweight and obesity in adult populations and individuals.

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/)


So, growing obesity rates are a worldwide problem. It is a particular problem here in the UAE. In the past, most Emiratis lived a tougher, more nomadic existence, involving hard travel and physical labour. Today most live a softer, more sedentary life, travelling by car and holding desk jobs requiring little physical exertion. That these jobs exist is due to the rapid economic expansion over the past 40 years, since the discovery and exploitation of oil. In addition, many people today entertain themselves by watching TV or playing computer games, neither of which involves physical exercise. Even when they leave home, many Emiratis no longer walk; they drive everywhere and many seem to have an antipathy towards leaving their cars: for example, parking outside shops and tooting for service seems to be a local pastime. Finally, as well as traditional Arab cuisine, itself often quite high in fat and sugar content, there is today the widespread temptation and easy availability of high-fat and high-sugar fast food. McDonalds, KFC, Dunkin' Donuts,and various pizza chains are ubiquitous throughout the UAE. As a consequence, the UAE had the highest rate of diabetes in the world in 2007, with 19.5% of the population aged 20-79 affected ( The Economist, Pocket World in Figures, 2009, p. 84), with 17.1% of total male population and 31.4% of female population clinically obese, meaning a body mass index of over 30 (The Economist, Pocket World in Figures, 2009, p.87).

Suzanne Trease, Chair of the Department of Health & Physical Education at Dubai Women's College, blames a sedentary lifestyle for the rise of obesity in the UAE. "A lot of them [students] have things done for them," she said. Trease said that from observation, physical activity is not typically part of the Emirati culture and is therefore not instilled in children by parents. "If we start here with these ladies, hopefully the next generation will incorporate physical activity into their lifestyle." She added: "Physical activity is not encouraged for women here." She said she has observed that PE is not part of girls' development, and this is evident in their weak motor skills. "Basic motor and coordination skills are not there and if they are, they're not refined." Trease stressed the urgency of incorporating healthy living into UAE's lifestyle. "It's imperative we educate this generation and those to come, about healthy living because if we don't, life expectancy will grow even shorter. If you can walk moderately for 30 minutes a day and keep your heart rate above 130 beats per minute, that's a great start (Naidoo & Moussly, Gulf News 2009).

It is not just the food we eat but also what we drink that contributes to obesity. With more than 80 per cent of the UAE's adolescent and young women regularly downing fizzy drinks, they run a higher risk of becoming obese and getting osteoporosis later in life.These were the findings of a study conducted by Dubai Medical College students, titled ‘Health Effects of Soda Drinking in Adolescent Girls in the UAE'. The study was published in the international medical Journal of Critical Care. The students tested about 300 adolescents in the 10-22 age group from Al Raya High School, Al Sorouq Private School, Dubai Modern Education School and Dubai Medical College for Girls. "Soda drinking was associated with higher risk of obesity and decreasing levels of blood calcium and increasing urinary calcium excretion, which may lead to osteoporosis later in life," they concluded (Naidoo & Moussly, Gulf News 2009).

The solutions? The only viable long-term solution is education. At an early age, children should be taught the importance of two things: a healthy diet and regular physical exercise. A better diet involves not just choosing healthier ingredients, such as fruit and vegetables. Sauces and style of cooking need to be watched. A healthy salad becomes a less healthy option if coated in, say, mayonnaise. Fish and potatoes are themselves good nutritious foods, but less so if fried as fish and chips. Governments around the world can help by encouraging schools to teach nutrition seriously. Campaigns in the media to educate all sections of the population, especially parents, to eat healthily, can also help. Cars, TVs and computers are not going to disappear so the only viable solution is education to encourage better diet and more physical exercise.

920 words

Bibliography:

The Economist, Pocket World in Figures, 2009, Profile Books, London, 2009.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7151813.stm

Naidoo, Amelia, and Rania Moussly. "Youth Obesity: the UAE's Big Problem." Gulf News [Dubai] 13 Dec. 2009. Print.

Brunel

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

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Istanbul

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Presentation reflection/evaluation

Sunday 22nd April

Research & Innovation Centre, 0915.

Omar, Rashed & Yousef.

Fencing.

Omar introduced the subject & described the differences between foil, epee & sabre.

Rashed  continued the description & talked about fencing competitions, while Yousef, lastly, gave a broad outline of the sport's history & other aspects of the sport.

Slides: plentiful, colourful & informative. A couple of spelling errors, eg. middle for medal & count for counted.

N.B. Omar had fencing realia from Baniyas Sporting Club.

English: generally accurate,  with some infelicities, but certainly good enough to convey meaning clearly & accurately.

Body language: all 3 appeared quite confident & all spoke loudly & clearly.

Eye contact: all 3 looked at the audience but perhaps more often at me.

Questions were handled competently by all 3, especially Omar.

Overall: informative, entertaining & enjoyable.

Reflection on meeting

Venue: research & innovation centre

Date: Sunday 18th March

Present:

Abdulqadar, H00235057, Chairman

Nabil, H00159003, Secretary

Ahmed Salah, H00138689, Participant

Abdulqadar opened the meeting in an appropriate manner & introduced the items on the agenda clearly. He directed the meeting successfully from 1 item to the next.

The problem under discussion was Emiratisation.

The first item to be discussed was the lack of information from the private sector for students while they are studying. Nabil: HCT has many graduates and they mostly go to government jobs because they don't know about the private sector.

The next issue was the fact that government alone cannot provide jobs for all nationals. Ahmed: we need a better balance between government & the private sector. Students should be encouraged to get work experience in the private sector. Nabil: at present, work experience is always in the government sector. Ahmed: students are afraid of the risks involved in working in the private sector. Nabil: we need theory classes re. the top 5 government & top 5 privatre companies. Even if most students opt for government jobs, some will opt for private & hopefully this number will grow. Ahmed: we need a special programme for students before they graduate. Nabil: the biggest problem is lack of info: the students need clarity.

Hedley asked why it was important to direct students to the private sector. He was told that government cannot provide jobs for all graduates. Those not getting government jobs either work for semi- government institutions, like Nabil, or remain idle until a government post, for which they are not necessarily qualified, turns up.

Recommendations:

1. Special programme for students before they graduate.
2. More clear inf0 re. private sector.
3. Work placement in private sector as well as government, so that students can decide, government or private.
4. Need for people to be qualified to do specific jobs.
5. It would be good for more private companies to follow HSBC's lead in training Emiratis, sending them abroad for training & work experience, and, finally, employing them in full-time positions.

All 3 students contributed to the meeting; it was well-directed; the secretary made notes; views were expressed clearly & politely;the discussion flowed freely and was always interesting.

Meeting Activity

Problem: traffic congestion in Abu Dhabi


Date of meeting: 7th March 2011
Time of meeting: 16:10
Venue: W007
Group members:
Chair: Abdul-Aziz.
Secretary: Jaber.
Participant: Hedley.
Venue preparation:

Grouping of chairs round tables



Agenda:
Underground parking.
Paid parking/short term – long term.
Congestion charge / taxes / restrictions.
Public transport.
Increase age of driver (i.e. licences only at a later age than the present system allows).




The chairman Abdul Aziz opened the meeting at 16:32
1. Underground parking.
Jaber said it is a good idea
Hedley worried about the price.
Abdul Aziz said the cost of underground parking should be limited. Hedley asked if new buildings were required to have sufficient parking space. Were the regulations enforced? Jaber said no.
2. Paid parking ( short term & long term )
This is now quite common in Abu Dhabi and it has reduced congestion.
Hedley pointed out that some residents who have bought 1 or 2 permits still can’t find space to park. Abdul Aziz suggested designated areas for short-term parking. People who buy permits should have designated spaces. Hedley suggested and Jaber and Abdul Aziz agreed.
3. Congestion charge /taxes/restrictions.
Hedley asked if a Salik-type system as in Dubai would work in Abu Dhabi. Jaber pointed out it would be more difficult as there is no metro for people to use instead of their cars. The extra workload on the police of enforcing extra restrictions, and the cost + delay of implementing such schemes was mentioned by Jaber + Abdul Aziz.
4. Public transport
Abdul Aziz suggested a new metro. Hedley asked if there was enough space in the town for a metro. Jaber said there is room if construction is carefully planned. He also suggested free parking 08:00-15:00 so all workers could leave their cars at home. Abdul Aziz highlighted the need for a number of stations in all areas.
5. Increased age of driver?
Jaber thought this is a bad idea- many younger drivers are needed in families where older members have died or cannot drive. Abdul Aziz pointed out that 18 year olds need to get to college. If you live in Shahama a car is the only way.
In conclusion we thought that


1. Underground parking is a good idea. Rules about new buildings having adequate parking must be strictly enforced.
2. Paid parking has made the situation better but more thought is needed, e.g. on permits and designating special time +space.
3. We were in favor of more restrictions like the Salik card.
4. We liked the idea of building public transport especially a metro.


Posted by Hedley at 4:03 AM 0 comments