Leading Arab nutritionists come together for Saudi seminar

Themed 'Milk...Protecting Your Children's Growth.', the seminar was conducted by four renowned Arab nutritionists; Dr. Salih Al-Ansari, Director General of the School Health Department for boys at the Ministry of Education, Dr. Hamad Al-Kanhal, Chairman of the Saudi Society for Food and Nutrition, Dr. Abdulrahman Musaiger, Chairman of the Arab Nutrition Society and Dr. Khalid Al-Madani, General Supervisor of the Nutrition Department, Makkah Region at the Ministry of Health, who each presented informative lectures reinforcing the value that milk can play in a young child's life.

"Milk provides nutrients for the whole family - from pregnancy and childhood to adulthood and old age. Today, there is a wider range of quality milk products that packed in carton packages provides consumers with a variety of choices between various types of enrichment, different fat contents and even several flavours to suit differing tastes" said Dr. Kanhal. "It should also be remembered that whilst no one food is ever enough - Milk is one of our most complete foods that can help to protect our health and meet our nutritional needs as part of a varied diet," he added.

A key message in Dr. Musaiger's lecture was that, to enable children to reach their full bone strength potential, they will need a calcium rich diet in combination with regular load-bearing exercises, such as netball, soccer, basketball and atheletics," he added.

"Our bones are alive. They are constantly changing, constantly being rebuilt and re-energised. Made from a thick outer shell with a strong inner honey-combed centre, the skeleton is filled with bone marrow, blood vessels. The bone compose of organic component mainly protein which represents 1/3 of the bone mass and inorganic and represent 2/3 and mainly calcium and phosphorus and other minerals," Dr. Madani confirmed. "As the rest of your body, your skeleton is a living organism that needs a well-balanced diet to keep it fit and healthy. Moderation is the key. It needs minerals and vitamins that milk provides. But that's not all, you still need to undertake physical exercise to keep healthy bones growing and strengthening because they suffer if you don't. So you should exercise at least three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time," he added".

In his lecture, Dr. Ansari criticised the poor consumption of milk amongst Saudi children and urged parents and families to provide their children with the right nutrition." It's important as providing them with the right education, he added.

He also highlighted the tangible achievements that have been gained during the last five years of the School Milk Educational Programme, which was initiated by the Ministry of Education, Department of School Health (Boys) and supported by Tetra Pak in 2001.

"In 2005, the aim is to reach 100 percent of boys' elementary schools (grade 1 to 3) reaching a massive of 1.2 million students and their families with the "milk message" how milk is protecting their health. This effort will be expanded to all students in the Kingdom in the few years to come," Dr. Ansari confirmed.

From both genders, the seminar was well attended by governmental officials, the media, senior nutritionists and dieticians, and senior businessmen from the dairy industry.