RIYADH: Ramadan provides an ideal opportunity for people to modify their food habits and to fight obesity, a senior official from Ministry of Health (MOH) said.
Husna Al-Shammary, also a renowned nutritionist, was talking to callers through the “Hello Ramadan” program, organized by MOH.
The program started it’s transmission during the first week of Ramadan with the aim to help Muslims in the Kingdom clear their doubts regarding medical problems they face, specially during the holy month.
The service is available on toll free number, 8002494444, and the MOH’s Twitter account @saudimoh.
Al-Shammari said the main causes of obesity include maximizing the intake of food at each meal, eating for entertainment without feeling hungry, and consuming calorie-rich snacks frequently.
“Obesity leads to laziness and lack of physical movement,” she said, adding that such habits and behaviors are harmful to human health.
The nutritionist said a balanced diet during Ramadan will keep a person healthy and make him or her learn the art of balancing his or her foods during normal days.
She advised Muslims to start their iftar with dates and light liquid food and to avoid oily stuff.
Eating too much food results in obesity which leads a person to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, she said.
At a recent conference on diabetes and obesity held in Riyadh, it was revealed that prevalence of diabetes in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ranged between 15 and 20 percent of the total population. The Kingdom currently occupies fifth place globally and third in the Gulf for obesity.
These diseases not only threaten human life, but also go beyond this to threaten state resources, imposing a critical economic burden.
The global economy report indicates that under non-communicable diseases in 2011, the treatment of diabetes amounted to a cost of $500 billion, which is expected to increase to $750 billion by 2030.
According to a survey, around 31 out of every 100,000 children in the Kingdom, aged between 10 and 14, have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
The cost of treating such patient amounts to $1,333 per year.
MOH plans to set up five centers for obesity treatment in four major cities in the Kingdom. Two such centers are being planned in the capital and one each in Jeddah, Dammam and Asir.
Husna Al-Shammary, also a renowned nutritionist, was talking to callers through the “Hello Ramadan” program, organized by MOH.
The program started it’s transmission during the first week of Ramadan with the aim to help Muslims in the Kingdom clear their doubts regarding medical problems they face, specially during the holy month.
The service is available on toll free number, 8002494444, and the MOH’s Twitter account @saudimoh.
Al-Shammari said the main causes of obesity include maximizing the intake of food at each meal, eating for entertainment without feeling hungry, and consuming calorie-rich snacks frequently.
“Obesity leads to laziness and lack of physical movement,” she said, adding that such habits and behaviors are harmful to human health.
The nutritionist said a balanced diet during Ramadan will keep a person healthy and make him or her learn the art of balancing his or her foods during normal days.
She advised Muslims to start their iftar with dates and light liquid food and to avoid oily stuff.
Eating too much food results in obesity which leads a person to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, she said.
At a recent conference on diabetes and obesity held in Riyadh, it was revealed that prevalence of diabetes in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ranged between 15 and 20 percent of the total population. The Kingdom currently occupies fifth place globally and third in the Gulf for obesity.
These diseases not only threaten human life, but also go beyond this to threaten state resources, imposing a critical economic burden.
The global economy report indicates that under non-communicable diseases in 2011, the treatment of diabetes amounted to a cost of $500 billion, which is expected to increase to $750 billion by 2030.
According to a survey, around 31 out of every 100,000 children in the Kingdom, aged between 10 and 14, have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
The cost of treating such patient amounts to $1,333 per year.
MOH plans to set up five centers for obesity treatment in four major cities in the Kingdom. Two such centers are being planned in the capital and one each in Jeddah, Dammam and Asir.
