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COPYRIGHT 2007 Asia Pulse Pty Ltd
KARACHI, June 22
(PPI): The height and weight of Pakistani children is
low as compared to some foreign countries, says an
expert. Professor Dr Syed Arif Kamal, Project Director,
National Growth and Developmental Standards (NGDS),
Department of Mathematics, University of Karachi said
height could be raised by regular exercises and medical
treatment.
While speaking at Bil-Mushafa Program
of Radio Pakistan Karachi on Friday he said that his
organization was making hectic efforts for the
maintenance of height and weight of Pakistani children.
According to him the height and weight of Pakistani
children was low as compared to some foreign countries
of the world like US, adding height and weight have
direct relations to the health of children. Low height
causes fatness and ultimately affects childrens health.
More height also creates some health problems. The
normal height of people should be 5.4 feet. He said that
NGDS was collecting data of school children in this
regard and initially, it had prepared data of 2005
school children, particularly belonging to army schools,
which showed unsatisfactory results because the height
and weight of these children did not meet standard.
Professor Syed Arif Kamal said that his organization was
raising public awareness at school level in order to
maintain standard weight and height of children. He said
that height of men and women below 21 and 19 years
respectively could be raised. He said that present
funding of the project was limited but they were making
efforts to raise more funds, adding they would also
expand their program to interior Sindh. Arif Kamal asked
parents to pay special attention to their children
regarding their physical fitness and ensure balanced
diet besides involving them in regular exercises. The
Project Director said that raise in height and reduction
in weight could be achieved through regular exercises
and medical treatment. We were also imparting training
to doctors and parents of children in this regard, he
said. Arif Kamal said NDGS was established in 1998 and
it was a pilot project, adding efforts were being made
to expand the program across the country. (THROUGH ASIA
PULSE)
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