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Obesity in Arab Countries
 Obesity
has now become a major problem here in the Arab Countries. Over
60% of local Nationals are overweight and this figure is expected
to rise. The number of overweight or obese adults and children has
continued to increase and is a trend that is not slowing down. According
to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is predicted that there
will be over 2.3 billion overweight and 700 million obese individuals
by 2015.
The biggest effect of obesity is for the individual, as being overweight
or obese can lead to heart disease, diabetes and many other health
issues. Life expectancy is reduced by as much as 10-12 years for
people that are morbidly obese. For people who are obese, it is
inevitable that their quality of life suffers, as it is difficult
to enjoy exercise or to move around freely. Another consequence
is the lack of self-esteem. This can lead to depression, eating
disorders and crash diets.
Another consequence of obesity is that the country of residence
is also affected due to the fact it becomes very expensive for the
government to provide advanced medical care such as heart transplants
or other healthcare provision for certain individuals. .
| Height |
Obesity Point |
| Ft/inches |
Meters |
Pounds |
Kilos |
4.10
4.11
5.0
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.9
5.10
5.11
6.0
|
1.47m
1.50m
1.52m
1.55m
1.57m
1.60m
1.63m
1.65m
1.68m
1.70m
1.73m
1.75m
1.78m
1.80m
1.83m
|
143 pounds
148 pounds
153 pounds
159 pounds
164 pounds
169 pounds
175 pounds
180 pounds
186 pounds
191 pounds
197 pounds
203 pounds
209 pounds
215 pounds
221 pounds
|
65.0kg
67.3kg
69.5kg
72.3kg
74.5kg
76.8kg
79.5kg
81.8kg
84.5kg
86.8kg
89.5kg
92.3kg
95.0kg
97.7kg
100.4kg
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Cultural Influences of Obesity in Arab Countries
Traditional dress in the Middle East is a contributing factor
of obesity due to the wearing of loose, flowing garments such
as the dish-dash or abayas. Excess weight gained goes relatively
unnoticed as they are not wearing close fitting garments such
as jeans or shirts. Often when clothes become tight, it signals
a warning to control calorie intake but this may not occur if
there are no limiting factors.
Due to extremely high weather temperatures up to 50 degrees, for
a large part of the year, outdoor activities may be limited and
therefore entertainment is often provided at home sat in front
of the television. Inactivity and boredom can lead to excessive
calorie consumption resulting in weight gain. In this climate,
cars are used frequently to drive very short distances and exercise
is not undertaken.
Being overweight is widely perceived in Arab countries, as well
as African and Mediterranean countries, as being a sign of good
health and financial success. In order to be effective, any strategies
to promote health and prevent lifestyle-driven health conditions
such as diabetes must challenge important socio-cultural obstacles.
Many religious occasions, such as fasting for Ramadan and the
subsequent celebrations at the end of Ramadan, bring about altered
eating habits. For Ramadan, Muslims fast for the Holy Month of
Ramadan which may predispose to overeating leading up to the fasting
month.
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