UAE Health & Sports Medicine Centre
Health and Fitness for the Armed and Emergency Services
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Background
Under the patronage of His Highness the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Mission of the Military High School (MHS) is to develop the mind, body and soul of future Emirati officers. The authorities strive to achieve this objective by combining academic and some introductory military training for 14-18 year old boys at the single-site school just outside Al Ain. In 2007 Optimal Performance Ltd were invited to contribute to this Mission by investigating the health of MHS students over a three week period. The outcome of this study was the commissioning of a Health and Sports Medicine Centre (HSMC) at the MHS.
Initially, Optimal Performance Ltd was awarded a two year contract to set up and manage the Centre, which opened in April 2008. Since this time the HSMC has grown to 25 full time staff working in three sections: Nutrition and Dietetics; Physical Education and Training, including a Sports and Exercise Medicine Unit; Health Education and Research. The Centre comprises a mixture of health professionals, including sport scientists, health educators, nutritionists, dieticians, translators, IT designers, sports medicine consultants and physical rehabilitators; as well as a mixture of nationalities: UAE, UK, New Zealand, Malta, Tunisia and India.
The company currently provides seven personnel in management positions within the HSMC, including Dr James Carter the Deputy Department Head and the three Section Heads: Kirstie Lawton, Nutrition; Bart Pepper, Physical Training; Dr Tom Loney, Health Education. Each Section Head is supported by an additional Optimal Performance health professional: Deborah Allen, Senior Dietician; Graham Nicholson, Sport and Exercise Science Officer; Gareth Picknell, Sport and Exercise Psychologist. In April 2010 Optimal Performance Ltd was offered a further two year extension to manage the Centre and the company is currently advising the UAE Armed Forces on extending the remit of the HSMC to cover additional training establishments.
Purpose
The purpose of the HSMC is to improve the health, fitness, physical performance and wellbeing of students and staff at the MHS. The three sections comprising the HSMC have separate roles and, therefore, responsibilities. However, considerable overlap exists between sections and, consequently, each section works together to achieve the overall HSMC purpose.
HSMC OPL Publications
Loney T, Lawton K, Allen D, Carter JM (2010) SIZE MATTERS! Effect of a school canteen portion-size intervention on weight loss in obese Emirati adolescents. Obesity Reviews 11 (1): 239 (T3: PO 54). Presented at the International Congress on Obesity 2010, Stockholm.
Carter JM and Loney T (2010) Healthy lifestyle interventions for Emirati adolescents: a 12 month progress report. Obesity Reviews 11 (1): 239 (T3: PO 54). Presented at the International Congress on Obesity 2010, Stockholm.
Pepper B, Nicholson G, Loney T and Carter J (2010). Streaming of school physical training by fitness – a novel and more personalised approach. Presented at the 15th Annual Congress of the European College of Sports Science 2010, Antayla (Book of Abstracts AID 1159).
Scullion LJ, Loney T, Carter JM, Rayson MP (2008) The HELP programme: a health intervention for Emirati adolescents. Presented at the European College of Sports Science Conference 2009, Oslo.
Loney T, Carter JM, Nicholson GF, Rayson MP (2009). Effect of Ramadan on hydration status and concentration in military cadets in the United Arab Emirates. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 41(5), S190.
Carter JM, Richmond VL, Wilkinson DM, Rayson MP (2008). Health, fitness and nutritional status at the Military High School in the United Arab Emirates. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 40(5), S238.
Work at the UAE Health & Sports Medicine Centre includes:
