Duchess of York supports ICLDC in drive to empower the nation's children on healthy eating

During a visit to Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi the Duchess told more than 55 children from Abu Dhabi International School (AIS) that the secret to a healthy life is a balanced diet and regular exercise.

The children at the Centre as part of an on-going initiate, I EAT RIGHT, that is aimed at coaching the UAE's children on the contents of a healthy lunch box.

I EAT RIGHT is a pillar of ICLDC's award-winning public awareness campaign on the debilitating effects of diabetes, a disease that is said to currently affect 19.5% of the UAE population.

"All children deserve respect, and this can start with the food that they eat. I am on a global mission to help facilitate a channel of communication on healthy lifestyles to everyone. This includes governments, parents and children.

"In fact, I believe in 'Child Power' where information is concerned, and my interactions with the children from AIS prove to me that many children are very well informed on what a healthy meal is, and what is not. I want to help build on this."

The Duchess said that we all must wake up and embrace a healthy lifestyle and that a good place to start is to question 'where is sweetness from'.

She was refering to her observations that under- or over-weight can be attributed to family environments that are seemingly low in love and affection.

"It is proven that a good, balanced, low sugar diet and regular exercise will help keep type 2 diabetes at bay, " she said.

"Having said that, the world is diverse and conditions are quite varied world over. What could be stable, however, is a good dose of sweetness from the family embrace and not a sugar-heavy food substitute."

The Duchess' observations were supported by ICLDC's Dr Maha Taysir Barakat, Consultant Endocrinologist, Medical & Research Director at the Centre.

Dr Maha has long-since said that the key to healthy lifestyle is simple: "A balanced diet and regular exercise does the trick," she told the children. Dr Maha said that a thirty-minute brisk walk, three times a week is a great start.

The Duchess of York was visiting the Centre as part of a three-day trip to the UAE. She is scheduled to address the third Women as Global Leaders conference (in Dubai today, March 10 2008).

The conference is held under the patronage of HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the UAE Women's Union.

Sheikha Fatima has also lent her patronage to ICLDC's DIABETES.KNOWLEGDE.ACTION campaign. The campaign recently walked away with an award at the GEMAS 2007.