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Self-balancing scooters lead to unbalanced lifestyles

Manama : Obesity continues to be a cause of concern for Bahrain, and the advent of hover-boards is acting as a fillip to it. 

Bahrain is ranked the 10th fattest nation in the world, with an obesity rate of 24 per cent among children aged 7-18. With the advancements in technology, there’s less motivation to spend time outside, and self-balancing scooters, also known as hover-boards, seem to have become the latest fad among children and youths. 

The device is controlled by the rider’s feet, standing on the built in gyroscopic, censored pads. They have become a hit among the Arab youth with cost ranging from BD80 to the Chinese knockoffs at BD40. However, they are not devoid of dangers. Besides discouraging walking habits, these devices also cause explosions.

DT News spoke to general public regarding the same. Excerpts:

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“Hover-boards are extremely dangerous! To save money they are made of cheap materials such as polythene, which catches fire easily. Moreover any exercise you get even from walking is scrapped. The youths today are lazy and any new technology only help them stay in couches.”

Sandra Rachel, student 

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 “When we can do everything indoors, why go out and spend our energy? The advancement in technology is the root cause of our laziness. An attempt to make life easier has greatly affected the children of today. The only way to stop it is perhaps to ban television completely, but then again we have smart-phones.”

 Vaishak Vinod, student  

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 “Obesity isn’t just a national concern but one that the entire Middle East should be concerned about. Healthy food is hard to find for students. School and University canteens don’t really serve good or healthy food. Whenever someone brings a snack-box from home, we all devour it instantly.” 

Mohammed Athif, student, on why obesity is common in Bahrain

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“The most important preventable cause of obesity among children is energy imbalance. This is due to a mismatch between the energy consumed and energy utilised. This could be due to over-eating or inadequate exercise. Increased usage of TV, computer, video games etc is a commonly cited reasons for it. ” 

Dr M.C.John Orthopaedist at AMH

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“Obesity in children is mainly because of their inactiveness. Junk food is easily available these days for a minimum price. It is very appetising and the advertisements make them more appealing to the crowd. 

A solution to this problem would be promoting healthy eating and banning junk food inside educational institutions.”

 Susan Gregory, parent 

 

So how do we conquer this ever-growing problem? It seems apparent that something needs to be done. As a family, there are many things that can be done to help with one’s weight problems

It can be started by practicing healthy eating habits. Avoid the junk food. Start living healthy, work-out more, start a healthy routine. This would be a good start to a healthy and well-balanced body.

If your children are facing obesity problems, be together and face it like a family. You can set an example for your child by leading a healthy life. Plan family activities like walking, swimming etc.

Remember that overweight children are very insecure and you need to remain sympathetic to their plight. They may not be willing to participate in some activities. Make sure they enjoy the physical activities that are not too embarrassing or difficult. 

Reduce the time the family spends in front of the TV. There are so many other recreational methods to be followed that can bring the family together as a unit.

Whatever you choose to do, it should be remembered that you are not doing it as a physical chore. Instead see it as something that will help you lead a healthy life.