The long fight against obesity

As The National reported yesterday, hospitals in Abu Dhabi have been hit with high costs for equipment needed to treat obese patients weighing 290kg or more. One hospital group spent around Dh500,000 on specialised equipment such as scales and reinforced beds to treat overweight patients. This revelation is indicative of a worrying trend.

Given the multifaceted nature of obesity, what is the best way to confront this problem? The problem is that diet is one of the most personal decisions an individual can make. It is far beyond the reach of any government to force eating plans or calorie targets on its citizens. But, while the government should not force people to be less obese, there are important steps that can be taken to raise awareness about the dangers of unhealthy, inactive lifestyles.

Further investment in sport infrastructure and public awareness campaigns can do much of the work in establishing the physical and intellectual framework to educate our children about the dangers of unhealthy living and to stem the problem in years to come.

We must also bear in mind that obesity is not an issue unique to this country. The US has been battling against unbalanced diets for as long as anyone can remember. In fact, there is no society on the planet that is free from obesity and, perhaps more importantly, no country has been able to fully eradicate this problem.

In the Middle East, the obesity issue is in danger of becoming a new norm. One doctor said: “Obesity has become part of life in the Middle East.” Given that the problem has only recently become entrenched here, we have, in theory at least, the opportunity to root out the problem at an early stage.

We need to plant the seeds of healthy living in the next generation. Sport is an excellent instrument to educate our children about the dangers of the bad diets that lead to obesity. If we lead a sedentary lifestyle, the problem will only deepen. It is easy to gain weight quickly and very difficult to shed it. Together we should take more steps in the long journey towards a less obese, healthier society.