In my opinion, there is no other way to help women lose weight than to provide them with affordable gyms. A recently published report in Al-Madinah newspaper said that 66 percent of Saudi women are overweight.
Dr. Reham Halawani, a food specialist at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and the academic behind the recent study, warned of growing obesity among women in the Kingdom. She pointed out that men and women are now searching for fast solutions to check obesity, whether through dieting or joining a health club. However, women find it extremely difficult to join gyms, as there are hardly any for women. The only ones available are those belonging to private hospitals and cost anything between SR3,000 and SR6,000 a year. Not all women can afford this.
There is an urgent need to set up affordable gyms for women. This is the only way to fight obesity in our society. Someone might ask the question how long does it take to build them? How long does it take to import the equipment needed and to provide the manpower to run a gym.
Until gyms are established, the only place where women can exercise are the sidewalks — places, which are frequented by women in their late stages of pregnancy. However, nowadays all types of women go out walking — many of them are not pregnant and simply wish to lose weight.
But, there are several problems attached to walking on sidewalks. Men, who may either be following on foot or in their vehicles, often harass women who go out walking. Then there is the issue of unkempt roads full of potholes, which could prove fatal. Finally, there is the issue of air pollution from cars. People who go out walking need fresh air and peace of mind. We have to admit that there is no escape from establishing women’s clubs if we are serious about fighting obesity in our society.
