Article 1: Obesity in Dubai, the solutions.

Obesity is a raising issue in the UAE due to the sudden modernization of the population's lifestyle. Since the younger generations are more subjects to overweight, the government, as well as universities and private institutions, try to encourage the people to start or to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
According to the World Health Organization, the obesity rate in the United Arab Emirates in 2011 was 33.7%, placing the country in fourth position worldwide, after Saudi Arabia (35.5%), and before the USA (32.2%). Such statistics put the Ministry of Health of the UAE on alert.

Ahmed, an employee at the Ministry in Dubai, said, “The population of the emirate, foreigners or nationals, is over-weight. We are aware of the numbers and we try to encourage people to go outside and simply move, as a start. We created facilities, like the cycling track in Jumeirah, to give them opportunities of being healthy.”

However, these actions may not be enough considering the bad eating habits of many in Dubai. Donabelle, nurse at the American University in Dubai, said that obesity for the women can be explained by the confinement. “It is also easier here to go to a restaurant or a fast food to eat,” she continued, “than to cook. Not many people cook, and the burgers, sauces, and soft drinks become regular meals among the students in the university, for example.”  

Staying fit goes hand-in-hand with sports, and Donabelle remarked that about half the people in the university do go to the gym, but the other half is clearly inactive and over-weight. “I have students coming in, asking me advice on how to lose weight. There is no magic, it is all about eating vegetables and walking at least two hours per week.” She finished by saying that, to lose weight, people should look for fit friends, to keep themselves motivated. “It is all about self-discipline, that many students lack here,” she concluded.

Working out is presented to everyone with events such as the Dubai Marathon, which takes place on Friday the 27^th. Appearing on the official website of the marathon, a countdown indicates that the registered members will just have one more day to wait.

“The Dubai marathon was created in 2000, but was not very popular at that time. We have come a long way since, and ten times more people participated last year compared to the first year,” stated Dunia, member of the marathon’s organization. “Usually, people participating in the marathon are already in pretty good shape, but we also have the 10km and the 3km runs. This way, we encourage everyone who likes running, or simply wants to exercise outside.” She added that, in order to help people for the D-day, they created in their website a page with nutrition tips, and a step-by-step guideline for people interested in participating, from beginners’ preparation months before, to the breakfast on the morning of the marathon. “It is a great experience,” said Alia, who participated in the 3km run last year. She added, “it was very well organized, and there are so many people, you feel the motivation coming from everyone.” She also mentioned a feeling of achievement and satisfaction when one is finished. She concluded with a smile, “It was very diverse. People from all ages and all nationalities were participating; from all weights as well, and they did not feel out of place.” 

Photo journalism

Out of the four photo-reports, two photographs really stood out to me.

This is the first one,

Caption in the NYtimes: Health Ministry officials said Saturday afternoon that at least 168 people were hospitalized.

I think that the colours are very powerful, the contrast between the left and the right sides bring a lot of energy in a still picture. The man is directly in the center, and I find unusual the fact that he is wearing a suit, and holds a water bottle, so close to a fire. From his attitude, the viewer can deduce a kind of habbit of the Egyptian population to face such incidents, which is sad.

The second picture could not be downloaded, so here is the link,

The Swat Valley, After the Flood. A man stood amid the rubble of homes in the village of Zahel.

I find a lot of sadness in this picture. If you see the full diaporama, it starts with a "happy" picture, though holding a lot of sadness. The viewer can only understand the meaning behind the picture if he or she reads the caption. The sixth picture of the slideshow (there are a total of twelve pictures) shows more despair and distress in the angle and in the people. There are more visual correlations between the captions and the pictures in the second half. This picture, intitled A man stood amid the rubble of homes in the village of Zahel, is the exact opposite of the first picture. The viewer learns nothing new from the caption, because the picture, to me, is worth a thousand words. I find interesting the evolution of the pictures and the captions, and this last piece sriked to me as some kind of grand finale to the report.

Different styles of reporting

As our first class assignment, we have to compare the two following videos:

Linking Gaza to the Outside World

&

Barbers' Tales

I am going to start comparing by following the five main points given in class: tone, voice, perspective, pacing, and structure. The tone of New York Times's "Linking Gaza to the Outside World" is more informative, while The Monocle Briefings's "Barbers' Tales" has a lighter tone, more entertainment-driven. The distinction is also made by the song playing in the background of "Barbers' Tales." The reporters are talking via voice off, and do not appear in the video at all, allowing a richer visual to the audience. As for the voice, the man in "Linking Gaza" is more monotone, detached from any emotion, working only on transmitting the information to the viewer. The two reporters' voice in "Barber's Tales," on the other hand, is light, and conveys cheerfulness and intimacy. The perspective is as well quite opposite, as in the first video, the reporter seems to take a very outside and objective position, as the woman in the second video transmits feelings in her documentary, and seems to be in direct relation with her interviewees. The pacing is different as the first video seems more still than the second one. In the first one, the reporter is following the action, whereas in the second video, the reporters are creating the action. Finally, the structures though are comparable, as in both videos, the reporter comments on the images. However, in the first video, the commenting seems more direct than in the second video, where the reporters are "reciting" an article after taking all the required shots. In both cases, the interviewees are showed in their regular "duty," giving more life to both documentaries.

I would tend to take the first video more seriously, due to the tone and perspective, but would enjoy watching the second video more, as it is entertaining as well as informative. The two videos are obviously not treating the same kind of information, which makes it hard to compare on content. The first video really takes the viewer to the heart of the action, but I would tend to remember more the information given in the second video, as the colors and sounds are more developed. As for the reporters, the first one seemed more in the action than in the second video.

A fresh start

          Until I find the time to write something more interesting and more useful, and to give a little visual to this blog...

I have noticed that the weather has been really cold recently, so for people who do not like it, you could be there, and for people who like the cold, well here's a sample.

Munich, Germany.