Nasir Seif Nasir weighs the same as a heavyweight boxer. He is one of 25 youngsters taking part in an innovative ‘fat camp’ in Sharjah that aims to tackle one of the country’s biggest problems - childhood obesity. If successful, the scheme could be rolled out across the entire emirate. Nasir was chosen for the pilot because of his extreme weight - the same as British boxer Lennox Lewis in his prime.He said: “When I was 15, I weighed 75kg. By the time I came here, I weighed 130kg. “I was a bit scared and embarrassed about the way I looked, but I pushed myself to work hard.”One in five Emirati children are overweight - with one in eight being considered obese. The figures are among the highest in the world. Since joining the programme, Nasir has lost 20kgs. He has called for better health education and warned fellow youngsters to watch what they eat. “It is important for children to be aware of the dangers of obesity,” he said. “If I had known maybe I could have avoided it.”The UAE has the fourth highest rate of obesity in the world, with one third of adults suffering from the disease, according to the World Health Organisation.  But teenagers in Sharjah are being encouraged to tackle the problem with the introduction of the summer camp. Over the last month, Nasir and 24 other boys have been placed on a gruelling diet and exercise regime, with their days starting at 4.30am when they wake up for prayers.The rest of the day, until they go to bed at 10.30pm, is packed with various activities, including swimming, walking, weight sessions, and, possibly most importantly, lectures on how to change their diet and exercise in the long term, and why it is important. Their diet consists of baked, boiled and grilled foods, without oil, and lots of salads and fruit to snack on. Food is not kept on site, and it is all brought in before mealtimes.All the boys are living at the youth centre in Al Dhaid, under the supervision of Najemedin Aref.   And Aref said: “Obesity figures are so high in the UAE, and children have to be aware that this is an issue.”“The first step is for them to admit they’re obese. We started with meetings, making them understand the health risks, such as strokes and heart disease. We introduced exercise gradually, increasing the time slightly every day.”Nasir’s brother Abdel, 15, says that it is crucial that young people receive health education.Abdel weighed 140kg when he joined the centre, and also lost 10kg. “Young children need to know to stay away from fatty and fast food, and to exercise,” he said. “I used to have back pains and couldn’t walk properly and wish I had been warned before.”Although the boys now understand the changes they need to make, it was not always so easy.Ihab Al Khatib, the exercise instructor, said: “The first week was very hard. We had to take into consideration these were obese children who had never exercised before. They weren’t very receptive, some were lazy, others were stubborn and just didn’t want to.“We started slowly and now the change is amazing. They’re very happy, and even push me to increase the level of exercise I make them do.”Ahmed Khamis Ahmed, 17, lost 7kg in three weeks. When he started, he weighed 140kg. “I had never done any exercise before, and now I enjoy walking and jogging,” he said. “I’ve already recruited a friend of mine to walk with me when I go home.”Ahmed has also learned to change his diet. “My portions were big and I would eat each meal twice. I didn’t have the willpower to stop, even though I knew I should,” he said.“Now I’ve learned and I have goals. I won’t aim too high, but as long as I am the correct weight and have a normal body I will be happy. I don’t need big muscles or anything like that.”When the camp closes on Tuesday, the boys will be given a six-month exercise and nutrition programme to follow, and will be regularly monitored.The initiative has been set up by the Ministry of Health and the Government of Sharjah under the patronage of HH Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qassimi, the wife of the Ruler of Sharjah. If successful it will be rolled out to all government youth centres across Sharjah.mishaal@7days.ae