UAE doctors call for reduction in soft-drink consumption

Doctors have urged consumers to limit their consumption of soft drinks. This will help to
reduce extremely dangerous levels of diabetes and obesity.

UAE residents each consume an average of 103 litres, or about 300 cans, of soft drinks a year,
the fifth highest in the world. The global average is 121 cans and in Indonesia it is only 6.

Excessive consumption can cause a wide range of medical conditions, said Dr Maged Shurrab,
specialist family physician at Al Tadawi Medical Centre in Dubai.

"First of all, they'll give you extra calories for nothing, which can lead to weight gain and
obesity. These can, in turn, lead to problems with the heart, lungs and rest of the body.

"At the same time, they will dissolve tooth enamel because they contain acid, which could again
lead to heart disease."

The high volumes of sugar and fructose in soft drinks increase the risk of developing diabetes
and hypertension, and preservatives could trigger asthma attacks, Dr Shurrab said.

"Some research also shows soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, which is associated with an
increased risk of osteoporosis and weak bones.

"It's advisable to avoid these drinks as they have a negative impact on your health - they can
cause damage to your entire body."

Recent research has also shown that soft drink consumption is not only associated with obesity,
but also with behavioural problems such as aggression.

A research paper in the American Journal of Public Health showed that children who consume
soft drinks are far more likely to be aggressive, have attention problems, and show withdrawal
behaviour. The study recommends limiting or eliminating a child’s soft drink consumption in
order to reduce these behavioural problems.

The findings suggest that children who drink four or more soft drinks per day are more than
twice as likely to destroy things that belong to others, get into fights, and physically attack
people. They also had increased behavioural problems compared with those who do not
consume soft drinks.

Dr Riham Ammar, Medical Director and Specialist Paediatrician at Al Das Medical Clinic in
Dubai, said that the content of soft drinks includes caffeine, artificial food colours and high
levels of sugar.

She said: “Apart from the health problems such as obesity, dental caries and digestive conditions,
ingredients in fizzy drinks are known to cause hyperactivity, lack of concentration and difficulty
in sleeping. Excessive consumption can be extremely harmful.”
Dr Mascha Londermann, a German paediatrician at Medwin Medical Centre in Dubai, says there
is a desperate need for education and awareness. “The culture of consuming soft drinks at fast-
food outlets and movie theatres as well as the attitude towards soft drink consumption has to
change. I know parents who have a difficult time controlling and calming their kids after sugary
drinks and foods.”

Dr Shurrab said excessive soft drink consumption was symptomatic of a larger problem; people
were eating and drinking less healthily in general.

"If you look at US trends, for example, there's an increased consumption of junk food and soft
drinks. Even the orange juice people drink is often unhealthy. As a doctor, I prefer to recommend
the optimal diet and especially in these times we should take care of our health. People should
eat well and exercise. In the end, your health depends on how you treat your body. If you treat it
well, you will be well - if you don't, then you won't."

Rashi Chowdhary, a nutritionist in Dubai, said consumers should not make the mistake of
thinking diet soft drinks were healthier than regular ones.

"Switching to diet colas is not the answer. In fact buying anything that says sugar-free, fat-free or
diet only guarantees consumption of harmful artificial chemicals that wreak havoc on our
digestive tract.”

"Consuming diet drinks is downright foolish. Your body is hard-wired to the natural taste of
sugar; so when you drink a diet cola, your body will always make up for the sugar it did not
receive in other forms.”

"They're loaded with high fructose corn syrup, one of the biggest culprits contributing to
midsection obesity, high triglyceride levels, high insulin levels and, in some cases, a disturbed
sleeping pattern."

However, she added, people who exercise regularly, hydrate well and eat healthily 80 per cent of
the time were entitled to drink a regular cola "once in a while".

A report published in the American Journal of Public Health this year found that soft drink
consumption was significantly associated with obesity and diabetes worldwide.

Over 1.5 billion people are overweight worldwide and at least 1 in 20 adults have diabetes.
Industry analysts expect soft drink consumption to rise by 9.5 per cent worldwide in the next
five years. The report said this would lead to 192 million new cases of diabetes and an additional
2.3 billion overweight and 1.1 billion obese adults.

Diabetes affects about one in five Emiratis and 30.2 per cent of men and 43 per cent of women
in the UAE aged 20 or over are obese.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/health/uae-doctors-call-for-curb-on-soft-drink-
consumption
PART 1: Skimming for the main idea (1 mark)

1. What is the writer’s main purpose for writing this article?

(a) To argue that there should be a tax on soft drinks.
(b) To suggest that soft drinks should be banned in schools.
(c) To raise awareness about the dangers of soft drinks.
(d) To suggest that the ingredients of soft drinks should be changed.
PART 2: Reading for General ideas (8 marks)

Mark each statement as T (True), F (False), or NI (No Information) according to the reading.

T/F/NI

2. Consuming too many calories may result in damage T

to the lungs.
3. Some UAE residents consume more than double the NI
daily recommended number of calories.
4. People who consume lots of soft drinks are more T
likely to get angry and violent.
5. Drinking soft drinks improves your ability to focus. F
6. People should do a minimum of 30 minutes of NI
physical exercise per day.
7. Diet colas are healthier than regular colas. F
8. Global soft drink consumption is going down. F
9. 1/5 of the Emirati population suffer from diabetes. T

PART 3: Vocabulary (7 marks)

Choose the best meaning (a, b, c, or d) for the highlighted words according to their use in the
text:

10. consumers (a) employers

(b) managers
(c) users
(d) producers

11. range (a) option

(b) choose
(c) variety
(d) risk

12. volumes (a) quantity

(b) limit
(c) quality
(d) number

13. trigger (a) result in

(b) cure
(c) prevent
(d) effect

14. trends (a) designs

 (b) patterns
(c) colours
(d) people

15. contributing (a) subtracting from

(b) multiplying
(c) reducing
(d) adding to

16. affects (a) risks

(b) influences
(c) damages
(d) kills

PART 4: Reading for details (7 marks)

Match the items in Column A with the appropriate information in Column B

A B
17. Average annual soft drink a. 6 cans
consumption for UAE residents (e)
18. Average annual soft drink b. increases the risk of weak bones
consumption globally (c)
19. Preservatives in soft drinks (h) c. 121 cans
20. Phosphoric acid in soft drinks (b) d. 1.5 billion
21. Children consuming 4 or more soft e. 300 cans
drinks daily (g)
22. Diet colas (f) f. damage your digestive system
23. Number of people globally who are g. become aggressive
overweight (d)
h. can lead to asthma
i. 1.1 billion
Part 5: Reading visuals (6 marks)

Use the information in the infographics at the end of the text to answer the questions below.

Question Answer

28. How many adults globally suffer from diabetes? 422 million
29. True or False: Type 2 diabetics can’t produce False
insulin.
30. Fill in the gaps: Problems with weight are a major 30%,
factor in diabetes. More than ___________% of 10%
people are overweight, and _____________ % of
people are obese.
31. Fill in the gaps: Governments and hospitals can help Treatment,
by providing patients with better diagnosis and Data,
________________, collecting better __________, healthy
and providing society with more _______________,
environments.