As The National reports today, doctors recently successfully performed bariatric surgery on an Emirati patient who weighed more than 280kg. According to those treating him, the patient had not left his home in the past five years and could barely walk more than a few paces.
He had a gastric sleeve procedure, during which much of the stomach pouch is removed to facilitate accelerated weight loss. He is expected to lose 20kg in the first month after surgery and a further 80kg over the next few months.
His story is painfully familiar in a region with high rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In fact, in July alone, 63 patients underwent procedures like his at the hospital where he was treated.
When considering obesity in general, several questions arise: where is the line between personal effort and medical responsibility when obesity becomes life-threatening? What help is there before one reaches a critical state?
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Read more:
Dubai fights childhood obesity crisis with healthier school menus
Special report: Obesity rate in the UAE double the world average
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While the chief culprits for increasing obesity rates worldwide are a decline in physical activity and an increase in the intake of processed foods, these issues are especially problematic in a region where the heat of the summer makes lifestyles especially sedentary at this time of year.
The GCC countries rank in the top 15 countries for obesity. The rate of diabetes in parts of the Arabian Peninsula is more than twice the global average. While Europeans, for instance, engage in "circumstantial" movement on a daily basis – these may be simple but vital acts, like having to walk considerable distances to or from bus stops or up and down flights of stairs at train stations – we have to consciously ensure we set aside time to exercise.
But while maintaining a minimum number of minutes’ exercise per week and resisting the countless temptations around us is an uphill battle, damage control can be achieved. It has been said time and time again, and is worth repeating, that small changes make all the difference. Even if minor lifestyle modifications don’t result in an ideal physique, they will help reduce the rate of non-communicable diseases in the long run.
The country is constantly creating and upgrading avenues for exercise. The shockproof walkways spanning the coast of Dubai’s Kite Beach are just one example. To beat the summer heat, several malls in Abu Dhabi and Dubai developed healthy living initiatives, with indoor walkathons on weekdays and yoga classes in the morning before shops open their doors for the day.
In a region where weight loss is a multi-million-dollar industry, resorting to drastic measures is often seen as the easy way out. Giving up should not be the option. Healthy living should not be the "extra mile", and self-discipline when it comes to conscious eating is what we owe ourselves.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The specs
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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