RIYADH, 20 September 2005 — A survey of 120 Saudi schoolchildren aged 14-16 has shown that over 70 percent are overweight as a result of eating fatty food, a lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle.
The survey was carried out in a government school in Riyadh and the findings were tabulated on the basis of a questionnaire given to the students who were asked about their eating habits, lifestyles, physical activities and leisure pursuits.
The findings revealed a general ignorance of nutritious food. It also highlighted a serious shortcoming on the part of parents in educating their children about healthy eating habits. The teachers, often overweight themselves, served as poor role models for the pupils.
In reply to a question about food habits, more than 90 percent of the children said they ate rice with meat at least once a day, with chocolate bars bought from school canteens serving as their breakfast. Since government schools close at 1 p.m., they go home, have lunch and then take a nap.
Asked about fast food, 70 percent of the respondents said they ate junk food at least twice a week, while 20 percent eat it three times or more. Only 10 percent of the students eat fast food once a week. As many as 60 percent said they ate pizza, shawerma, foul, broast chicken, chicken and beef burgers with French fries for dinner. A surprising finding from the survey was that a typical Saudi family does not prepare dinner at home, prefer instead to buy takeaways.
Some 80 percent of those surveyed said they spent three to four hours a day watching TV or playing computer games, especially on weekends. Even at school, they play football only once a week for only 45 minutes.
“The consumption of so much unhealthy food, coupled with the lack of exercise, has created a situation in which there is frequent absenteeism in school. Also, the heavy food makes a student drowsy, and saps his ability to concentrate,” said Sulaiman Al-Sharidah, a student counselor at an intermediate school.
Abdul Mohsen Al-Howaidy, an English teacher, called on parents to set a good example for their children by teaching them healthy eating habits.
