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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Obesity on the rise in Sultanate

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MUSCAT, MARCH 3 - Obesity has assumed epidemic proportions across the globe and around 60 per cent of adults in the Sultanate are overweight or obese, according to the Ministry of Health. Just as the world is celebrating World Obesity Day on March 4, the annual health report from the MoH says that the overweight and obesity in the Sultanate has risen to about 60 per cent of total adults due to unhealthy lifestyle and lack of exercise.


Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension (High Blood Pressure) stroke, different cancers, joint problems are some of the noncommunicable diseases triggered by obesity, according to experts. Obesity rates among children too have nearly tripled since 1975 and have increased almost five times in children and adolescents, affecting people of all ages from all social groups in both developed and developing countries.


They say complex mixture of dietary, lifestyle, genetic, psychological, sociocultural, economic and environmental factors are contributing to increasing number of obese people.


“Most important factor for developing obesity is related to eating habits such as consuming more oily or fatty food, junk foods and combined with sedentary life style leading to weight gain and obesity”, says Dr Dilip Singhvi, Specialist, Internal Medicine and Diabetes, adding “some obesity runs in families and have hereditary causes.” He says there is a need to increase awareness about healthy diet habits including restricting fat in diet to not more than 15 per cent, and regular exercise. Prema Arun, Co founder of Yoga City, says that obesity is one of the major health risks seen in kids because of the lifestyle and stress.


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