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Three-month Survey to Cover 15,000 People in the Country

DUBAI — Nearly 15,000 people from about 5,000 households will be covered in the three-month-long World Health Survey, as part of the strategy to combat obesity. The survey, which is being held in coordination with the World Health Organisation (WHO), will kick off on January 1, 2009, said a senior ministry official recently.

“We will have questions on lifestyle, diet, exercise as well as their medical condition such as levels of glucose, blood pressure,” said Dr Huda Al Suwaidi, Family Medicine Consultant for MoH and Director of the World Health Survey.

The UAE is among more than 40 countries with high rates of obesity and people who are overweight.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, more than 40 per cent of women and more than 25 per cent of men in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are obese. The primary causes of obesity are sedentary lifestyle in the UAE and easy access to food high in fat and calories, say experts.

The country also has a high rate of diabetes, which is one of many obesity-related maladies. An estimated one in five adults is affected by diabetes — with at least Dh6 billion spent on diabetes-related treatments in UAE in 2007, according to WHO.

“The results of the survey will decide the course of action to be taken by MoH in its fight against obesity,” Dr Huda said.

The MoH is also urging fast-food chains to serve smaller portions with more green salads. The talks being held with fast-food chains aim at encouraging companies to provide dietary information to the consumers.

“We recently held a meeting with company representatives but major decisions can only be taken after the results of the survey are out,” she explained, adding that legislation required coordination with several other government departments.

“People have to initially learn about calories, and only then will they realise the importance of healthy eating,” she pointed out.

Other strategies that would be implemented in a couple of months include raising awareness of healthy eating habits among schoolchildren and their parents, Dr Huda said.

Schools in Dubai have already banned sale of fast food items in canteens after the MoH recommendations.

According to Prof Christian Gericke, Chair in Public Health Policy, University of Adelaide, Australia has said that the GCC countries would face an unprecedented rise in demand for healthcare over the next decade because of the rapidly growing obesity epidemic.

“All that is required is new legislation and its reinforcement,” he told the Arab Health magazine recently.

Rana Shehadeh, clinical dietitian at the Advanced Nutrition Centre, says, “In the UAE, we consume more of calorie-dense foods, foods that are high in fats, high in simple sugars, and low in complex carbohydrates and fibres.”

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com