Omanis least over weight in Gulf region: Report

The Sultanate of Oman ranked sixth in the Gulf in the incidence of obesity among men, according to the Global Obesity Observatory.

The Global Obesity Observatory released its report as a mark of World Obesity Day, which falls on March 4.

According to the report, Oman ranked 60th globally in terms of obesity among men, with an incidence rate of 22.77 percent. The World Health Organization indicates that about 15 per cent of adults in the world suffer from obesity.

Obesity is currently considered one of the most important challenges facing the era. It poses a threat to public health in most countries of the world. The infection rate among obese is steadily increasing, especially in the Arab Gulf region. It is known that obesity leads to severe health, psychological, economic, and social damage to the individual and society. In addition to increasing the possibility of many other chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the patient's daily sufferings magnify due to excess weight.

Last year, the Ministry of Health in the Sultanate of Oman, in cooperation with Novo Nordisk Pharma Gulf Company and the Danish Embassy, launched two pilot projects to combat the spread of obesity in Oman. One meant to reduce and prevent obesity cases, while the second project included preparing an extensive study on the causes of obesity in Oman and how to control the reasons leading to it. The prevalence of the top ten obesity-related diseases in a number of Ministry of Health hospitals will also be evaluated.

Professor John Wilding, President of the World Obesity Federation, mentioned the global burden of obesity due to the remarkable increase in obesity rates in countries. He also referred to the efforts made by the World Obesity Federation to raise awareness and ensure the inclusion of effective interventions to reduce these burdens.

Citing the results of the 2017 National Health Survey, published by the Ministry of Health, Dr. Noor al Busaidi said, "The national survey found that the prevalence of obesity among Omani citizens is high, amounting to 35.2 percent. It is also higher among females (40.9 percent) than males (28.2 percent). A similar survey conducted by the Omani National Nutrition Centre (ONNS) found that the percentage of obesity among women in their childbearing years is very high."

@Afrahalbalushia