Deborah Allen
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, UAE
Title: A Review of a Holistic Health Intervention for Improving the Health Status of Obese National Service Recruits
Biography
Biography: Deborah Allen
Abstract
A systematic analysis of global obesity estimated the UAE’s obesity prevalence at 12.2% for males less than 20 years of age and 27.1% for males aged 20 years and above (Ng et al. 2014, Lancet, 384, 766-781). More recently, evidence has suggested that obesity rates of schoolchildren in the UAE are also rising at an alarming rate (Al Blooshi et al. 2016, Obesity Science and Practice, 2, 196-202), and that these increases are likely to continue into early adulthood. Given these trends and considering that National Service is compulsory, it is not surprising that up to 30.0% of males enrolling into their military service are considered obese. In attempts to reduce this figure, and to provide holistic support to these individuals, National Service implemented health centres that aid the streamlining of recruits into tailored programmes that include specific dietary, physical training and educational elements. National Service Recruits (age: 22.4 ± 4.4 yrs, n=5749) with a Body Mass Index (BMI) > 30.0 kg•m2 had their anthropometry measures taken at the beginning and end of initial training. Over the course of a 15 week period significant changes were noted for their body mass (T1 = 110.7 ± 17.7, T2 = 94.2 ± 15.19 kg; t=222.1, P<.001), BMI (T1 = 37.3 ± 5.3, T2 = 37.8 ± 4.6 kg•m2; t=230.3, P<.001), and waist-to-height ratio (T1 = 0.66 ± 0.07, T2 = 0.57 ± 0.77 Waist [cm ] / Height [cm]) t=131.8, P<.001).