Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

The world is facing an obesity crisis and Saudi Arabia is no exception. In fact, obesity has become alarmingly prevalent in Saudi society, in men, women, and children.



The Second Obesity Forum was organized in Jeddah this week by the Ministry of Health, King Khalid University, Dima Events, and Etlala Group to discuss the implications of obesity, prevention, and treatment.



Professor Hisham Ahmed Mosli, from King Abdulaziz University, mentioned a local study that found that 28.3% of adult men in the Kingdom are obese, and 43.8% of women in the Kingdom are obese.



Obesity is a serious condition and should not be laughed away with remarks such as, “The number on the scale doesn’t matter as long as I have a kind and good personality!”



Indeed inner beauty is more important than physical appearance, but fighting obesity is about preventing serious disease, protecting health, saving lives, improving the quality of life, and saving millions of dollars in national health care expenditure.



You would be surprised by the multitude and magnitude of illnesses associated with carrying around too much body fat.



“It is strange to find a urology surgeon like myself speaking at a symposium on obesity. You may ask what obesity has to do with genitourinary complaints?” said Professor Mosli.



“Obesity is directly related to an increased incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and heart disease, but also to illnesses such as kidney stones, kidney cancer, and in men erectile dysfunction, testosterone deficiency syndrome, and prostate problems. These conditions negatively impact the quality of life and marital relationships.”



“The obese patient has another disadvantage. When the patient requires surgery for treatment of renal problems, he/she is more likely to suffer from surgery complications. And the obese patient’s response to medications is blunted,” added Professor Mosli.



The escalating rise in obesity in the Kingdom is to be blamed on lack of exercise and the spread of fast foods. Messages and images of unhealthy foods constantly target our children on television, road signs, and toys, and this must be tightly controlled. The nutritional quality of foods offered at schools is equally distressing.



Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Jeddah Health Affairs said, “Heightened awareness on the dangers of obesity must be achieved on the individual, family, and society level. Parents must supervise their children’s eating habits and limit fast foods in their diet. Fast foods are high in calories and fat, leading to obesity which increases the risk for developing diabetes and other illnesses.”



Diabetes is a progressive disease, meaning the condition continues to get worse.



“The most recent report issued by the International Diabetes Federation stated that Saudi Arabia is the No. 1 country in the world with the highest prevalence of diabetes. Gulf countries in general ranked very high, but Saudi Arabia was the first. The number of people with diabetes worldwide is expected to rise from 366 million in 2011 to 552 million by 2030, if no urgent action is taken,” said Professor Faiza Gari, endocrinologist at King Abdulaziz University.



The major culprits for the increase in the incidence of diabetes in the Kingdom include: a sedentary lifestyle, poor food choices, obesity, and the high rate of marriages to blood relatives.



“Studies show that 44% of diabetics develop kidney failure, 66% of diabetics lose a limb (toe or toes or foot), and diabetics are two and a half more times as likely to develop cardiovascular disease and stoke than non-diabetics,” said Professor Gari.



The best recommendation for preventing diabetes and managing it well once diagnosed is weight loss. Regularly measure and monitor your weight. A useful tool, which indicates an increase in body fat is the waist circumference measurement.



Measuring your waist circumference is a simple check to tell how much body fat you have and where it is placed around your body. A waist measurement of greater than 94cm for men and 80cm for women indicates internal fat deposits coating the heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas, and increasing the risk of chronic diseases.



Making lifestyle changes, exercising, and following a healthy low-fat diet are sure ways to lose weight. For the severely obese, there are other options, such as surgical procedures that result in rapid weight loss, but surgery should be the last resort.



To prevent obesity, the earlier you start the better. Young children should not be allowed to consume empty caloric foods such as chips, fries, candies, and soft drink drinks. And they should be encouraged to play sports, run, and engage in all sorts of physical activities.



In my home I have a clear and non-negotiable ban on soft drinks. A can of cola contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. Upon drinking cola, the blood sugar level spikes and the liver responds to the insulin burst by turning the sugar into fat.



My strict rule has elicited mixed reactions from my children.



When my oldest hit the teen years, he went through a brief rebellion phase and he started buying and drinking cola in secrecy. After explaining to him each ingredient and its effects on the body, we reached an agreement that he could have one soda per month.



“I promise that I won’t drink sodas behind your back if you promise that you won’t embarrass me in front of my friends. I will tell them that I don’t drink soda because I don’t want to; not because my mom doesn’t let me,” he said.



My middle child nagged about colas for a while but after she learned how to make fresh fruit smoothies, she became so excited about all the flavors she could create that she abandoned sodas altogether! And the youngest just can’t stand that stuff. If you put a glass of soda in front of her she disgustedly sticks her tongue out and shouts, “Yuck!”