World’s First Kids Fitness Centre Opens in Dubai
- A new fitness centre for children has been opened in Dubai, termed as the first of its kind, in an effort to combat childhood obesity and have fun at the same time
- Named Little Gladiators, the facility is located at Golden Mile Galleria Mall on Palm Jumeirah, and charges AED 999 for a yearlong membership
- The 7,400 square foot Little Gladiators offers a wide range of options for little ones, ranging from swimming and cardio lessons to wall climbing, kickboxing, and even kid’s yoga
- Every activity of a child at Little Gladiator is recorded, and parents will get an email to their phone with updates about how their child is doing
- Over 36% of children in the UAE are obese, according to the World Health Organisation
- Childhood obesity is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, lipidemia and many other illnesses
- 66% of men and 60% of women in the UAE are obese, which indicates that obesity is a progressive disease
- Adult and childhood obesity are interrelated because obese male and female children have 78% and 66% likelihoods of being obese as adults
- As per international standards, at 18 years of age, BMI greater than or equal to 25 kg m2 is defined as overweight, and BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg m2 as obese
