Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC), a top diabetes treatment and research centre in Abu Dhabi, together with Fatafeat TV food network, will air a daily Ramadan cook show featuring tasty and healthy dishes.

Sukar Mazbout, the daily Ramadan cook show, will air at 1 pm UAE on Fatafeat, the first 24-7, free-to-air food channel in the region, according to a statement.

As part of the award-winning Diabetes.Knowledge.Action public health awareness campaign, ICLDC’s team of nutritionists and specialists has developed more than 90 family-focused recipes that blend traditional cooking with lighter ingredient options.

“A balanced diet, in conjunction with regular exercise, is the key in the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr Maha Taysir Barakat, ICLDC’s medical & research director and consultant endocrinologist.

She said that a balanced, healthy diet should include low fat, low-glycaemic, low salt and high-fibre options.

Recent statistics show that worldwide 10 per cent of children and adolescents - between 16 and 17 years old, suffer from obesity. In UAE, figures suggest that 12 per cent of children are overweight, with 22 per cent of those being susceptible to obesity.

Dr Maha warned that the risk of adult obesity is known to be at least twice as high for obese children, as for non-obese children.

“There has been a staggering increase of type 2 diabetes in younger people,” Dr Maha said. “Adolescents are being diagnosed at younger and younger ages due to obesity linked to physical inactivity and unhealthy diets.”

She said that ICLDC’s aim through Fatafeat TV’s Sukar Mazbout is to encourage communities to adopt healthier eating habits and so reduce the risk of obesity-related diabetes.

Yousef El-Deeb, chairman, Fatafeat TV, pledged the station’s support of ICLDC’s on-going initiatives to enhance public awareness of diabetes.

“Sukar Mazbout has been designed to entertain and engage family audiences by showing mouthwatering, nutritional dishes, while building awareness of the relationship between good eating and a healthy lifestyle,” El-Deeb said.

“The specially-designed recipes are presented by our chef with ICLDC’s nutritionist and are geared to help family menu planning. We will feature delicious, healthy options for main dishes, desserts, and more,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service