City children turn highly vulnerable

Reza Mahmud :
Obesity and related health risks are making the city children’s life vulnerable alarmingly, the experts said expressing their concern.
They said lack of sufficient playground and changing behaviour of gaming with device instead of physical sports are behind the children’s obesity and such other health risks.
As per a health research published in the UK journal ‘Lancet’ in 2016 the obesity rate in Bangladesh has increased by 3 percent among the boys while it was only 0.03 pc in 1975.
Besides, the rate has increased by 2.3 pc among the girl children whereas it was 0 pc in 1975.
There are no playgrounds in any of the 41 Wards in the Dhaka North and South City Corporations.
In Dhaka South City Corporation, 31 Wards have no playground and in Dhaka North City Corporation, 10 Wards are lacking of such grounds to play.
As per the urban planners’ views, there is a need for at least 610 playgrounds in the two city corporations of Dhaka, taking into account the area. But there are 256 fields only.
When contacted, Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan, Executive Director of the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD) told The New Nation, “It is needed to keep a playground in every half a square kilometer areas in a modern city. In this account, there are need of 610 playgrounds in the capital as the area of the Dhaka’s two city corporations are 305.47 square kilometers. But there are only 256 playgrounds existing.”
The Urban planner and Teacher of Jahangirnagor University asked the authorities to recover all of its playgrounds and open spaces so that the children get the chances to play and take physical exercise regularly.
Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan said that the lack of sufficient open spaces in the city life become vulnerable day by day for the people of all ages especially for the children and students.
The Public Health experts also warned that great portions of the nation’s future generation are becoming vulnerable due to lack of the playgrounds.
When contacted, Prime Minister’s personal physician, Professor Emeritus Dr. ABM Abdullah told The New Nation, “A very much valuable portion of our nation’ future  
generation are at serious physical and mental health risks due to lack of playground in the city.”
The wants of open spaces for playing in leisure times, the children are becoming addicted to devices like mobile phone games and such others.
As a result, most of them become victims of obesity and different others difficulties day by day. The schools and colleges have to ensure learning over physical activities like exercises and sports.
They should also provide enough playgrounds and open spaces for the students so that they can play there. The guardians and the social and religious leaders should also play vital role over keeping the children out of mobile phone addiction.
They should give importance over playing and physical exercises, the experts stressed.