weights of the Saudis

The Diabetes and Endocrinology Association in Saudi Arabia warned last year of an increase in obesity rates, which reached 70 percent among Saudis.

A report today, Sunday, quoted participants in a specialized medical conference as saying that sitting for long hours in front of laptops and satellite channels contributed to the Saudis’ weight gain.

According to the Saudi newspaper, Al-Watan, the participants indicated, in the first Jeddah Conference on Nutrition and Obesity, which was called by the Ministry of Health represented by Jeddah Health and the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine and whose activities are launched today, that the absence of movement and dependence on fat meals helped in the high rate of obesity, especially among Saudi women.

The newspaper''s report did not explain in detail the contribution of laptops and satellite channels to the weight gain.

The President of the Conference, Secretary-General of the Saudi Society of Family and Community Medicine (formerly), Dr. Khalid bin Obaid Bawaked, stated that the conference aims to assess and define cases of obesity and overweight among adults and children in society.

The Saudi Diabetes and Endocrinology Association had warned in June 2010 of an increase in obesity rates, which amounted to "about 70 percent among Saudis (men and women).

The association attributed several factors to the recent spread of this negative phenomenon, the most important of which is the rise in purchasing power among different segments of society, the spread of fast food restaurants, and the change in dietary habits with low levels of motor effort and physical activity.

According to the daily "Okaz" newspaper, which published the most prominent working papers participating in the conference, which are about:

Eating and luxury

Family and Community Medicine Consultant Dr. Muhammad Farouk Lawand considered that obesity occurs when excessive amounts of fat accumulate in the body, and begin to have negative effects on a person''s life.

Lawnd explained that the most important modern causes of obesity are the well-being of lifestyle and bad eating habits, as being overweight or obese can lead to various diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, difficulty sleeping and breathing, and can cause problems. In the most common locomotor system such as sole, arch, leg pain, foot, ankle, knee and back pain.

According to the newspaper, Lownd emphasized that controlling weight is through exercising, and reducing the amount of time spent on resident activities, such as watching television or using the computer.

Obesity diseases

Clinical Nutrition Consultant Dr. Khaled Ali Al-Madani said that obesity is linked to many chronic diseases and some pathological disorders, and therefore its prevalence rate gives an indication of the health status of the community, as the economic and social developments that occurred during the past three decades in the Kingdom, and based on epidemiological studies, have The proportion of people with obesity increased among adults, especially women.

Al-Madani stated that obesity in the Kingdom has become one of the most important health problems, and its prevalence in the Kingdom ranges between 14 percent to 83 percent, and the reason for the large difference between the two percentages may be due to the different measures of obesity, as well as the difference in age, gender and health status.

Al-Madani pointed out that there are several factors that affect the prevalence of obesity, including age, gender, frequency of pregnancy and childbirth, social, economic, psychological and pathological factors, in addition to urban and rural factors and genetic factors.

"Health Hazard"

A family medicine consultant at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Dr. Khaled Saleh Al-Radadi, says that obesity is not just a normal problem, but it is a serious threat to health, as obesity increases health risks such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease and kidney stones, Atrophic arthritis, gout, and breathing problems such as insomnia and asthma.

Al-Radadi stated that obese women face the risk of developing cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovaries, breast and colon, while males can develop colorectal cancer and prostate cancer. As for sleep problems, they include severe snoring and stopping breathing for short periods during sleep.

food program

Therapeutic dietitian Amal Hamdi Kinana addresses in her lecture the nutritional aspect of the stomach reduction surgery, explaining that there are three phases of the nutritional programs for the stomach reduction process, namely: the pre-operation program that focuses on fluids, protein, vitamins and minerals, and the second stage (ground or soft food). It includes fluids, vitamins and minerals, and as far as possible from foods rich in fats and sweets.

Hamdi added, as for the third stage, which is the stage (regular food), and it includes liquids, which should be 30 minutes before eating or 60 minutes after, and calories should not be more than 800-1100 calories daily, and stay away from solid foods such as Bread, fruit and vegetable peels, hard meat, hard boiled eggs, coconut, nuts, and chips.