Obesity in the Middle East and North Africa
[2] The Middle East, including the Arabian Peninsula, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, and Iran, and North Africa, are no exception to the worldwide increase in obesity.
The rise in caloric and fat intake in a region where exercise is not a defining part of the culture has added to the overall increased percentages of overweight and obese populations.
[5] In addition, women are more likely to be overweight or obese due to cultural norms and perceptions of appropriate female behavior and occupations inside and outside of the home.
[7] Specifically in the Arabian Peninsula, "physical activity of the population has significantly diminished with the availability of housemaids, private cars, television, and sophisticated household appliances.
[5] Other common factors, besides a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food choices, across the Arab world include urbanization,[2] technology,[4] and a cultural appreciation of female plumpness[8] and the practice of leblouh ("fattening").
Between meal times, children prefer French fries, chocolate, and soda, which lack micronutrients and dietary fiber.
[26] The increased risk of excess weight or obesity is due to a combination of overeating energy-dense, high-fat foods and sedentary lifestyles.
[23] Meals consisting of processed ingredients with preservatives, saturated fats, and hydrogenated oil are preferred over traditional foods.
[27] Specifically in Kuwaiti universities, other factors include eating between meals, marital status, and a male domination of sports.
"Like other oil-rich nations, Qatar has leaped across decades of development in a short time, leaving behind the physically demanding life of the desert for air-conditioned comfort, servants, and fast food".
[31] Part of the reason for the high rate of overweight and obesity within the population are urban residents that consume hypercaloric foods while maintaining a sedentary lifestyle.
The less-than physically demanding lifestyle urban residents lead is linked to a high level of education and income.
[33] The recent availability of wealth due to oil has allowed Emiratis to purchase luxury items, including imported food and tobacco products.
In addition, "leisure-time physical activity is not a common concept in the Palestinian context, especially for rural women, where lack of sex-segregated facilities and cultural norms are prohibitive factors."
Before marriage, girls intentionally overeat and perform limited physical activity for 40 days in order to be attractive for their soon-to-be husbands.
[43] In 2009, the Mediterranean Diet Fair was held at Kuwait's Dasman Institute for Research, Training, and Prevention of Diabetes & Other Chronic Conditions.
Four qualified doctors from the New Mowasat Hospital's Cardiology, Diabetology, Dietetics, and Urology Department, presented medical information and advice.
They spoke on various topics, including meal management, the role of physical activities, and the types of high fat foods eaten during Ramadan.
The entitled "Get Fit" campaign offered free blood tests and nutritional advice and provided lectures given by knowledgeable doctors.
Acknowledging within the document that the swift to an unhealthy lifestyle is leading to obesity, hypertension, cardiac diseases, and diabetes, strategic objectives and visions were developed.
[46] The visions included prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, promotion health awareness of the community and establishing a culture of healthy lifestyle.
[46] In order to educate the target goal of 90% of the population on unhealthy practices in nutrition by 2010, a website was to be designed and made available by 2007.
[46] In order to combat childhood obesity and the medical consequences of it in adulthood, the promotion of healthy lifestyles was designated as the central focus.
By 2010, 70% of 13 through 15 years old should be eating breakfast, 70% should be exercising independently of school requirements, and 50% more youth and families should have positive ideas about healthy lifestyles.
[46] The government is combating the obesity concern with regular coverage of the disease and the other consequences of being of an unhealthy weight in daily newspapers.
It provided health information related to fasting and allowed listeners to call in to learn more about diabetes and high blood pressure.
Topics addressed in the year-long awareness and education program included smoking, personal hygiene, physical exercise, and obesity.
Nutritional education programs were set up in health centers, schools, and women associations to spread awareness of non-communicable diseases and how to prevent them.
[51] The General Administration of Youth Centers and the Department of Health Education and Promotion sponsored a camp in July 2010 for a select 20 teenagers battling obesity.
Fruit, vegetables, fish, and low-fat dairy products were preferred over sausages, animal fat, and sweets.
