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Just concern is not enough!

What is intriguing is why even schools, college and university canteens, which ought to know better continue to list so many junk food items on their menus — alongside healthy food. Of course, one is not advocating that both the young and the not-so-young need to totally abstain from junk food like burgers, pizzas and fries et al. But one is advocating that more care will have to be taken to ensure a more healthy and nutritious diet — especially in the Emirates and in the region, where obesity is a well-recognised health problem.

It's encouraging to note that school health departments in the US have advised schools to substitute fizzy drinks like Coke and Pepsi with fresh juice in their cafeterias. Here is one small move which can make a 'measurable' difference in the Battle of the Bulge and which can be easily duplicated here.

In the Emirates, it would be best if the Ministry of Health, the General Secretariat of the Municipalities, and school managements draft a common strategy to raise nutritional and dietary awareness. Also, the quality of food products in the ever-rising number of roadside stalls, corner food shops and stands, and fast food joints must be inspected more frequently and monitored more tightly.

Of course, we also need just a pinch of self-restraint as well to counter the temptations of junk food.

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