MUSCAT: The Sultanate faces a growing rise in obesity among its population as more than half of the Omani population are now overweight or obese with 30 per cent of the population having a BMI of more than 30. These figures show a rise in the prevalence of obesity in the country since the last survey in 2008, especially among women.
This was stated by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health while launching a book.
Coinciding with the marking of World Obesity Day, Oman Obesity Briefing Book titled ‘Obesity in Oman, a Major Public Health Challenge’ was launched on Sunday at the Ministry of Health headquarters. The launch took place through a virtual event held under the auspices of Dr Al Saeedi. This important document has been developed in collaboration between the National Diabetes and Endocrine Centre (NDEC), the Department of Non-Communicable Disease, the Department of Nutrition, the Oman Diabetes Association and Novo Nordisk, a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company.
He said that there is an increasing recognition worldwide that overweight and obesity are not only problems of individuals but also for the society.
In his address, Dr Al Saeedi said: “The causes of obesity are complex, but one of the key drivers is in the way we eat and how much we move, which is changing dramatically. As a result of change in our environment, unhealthy processed food and the technology that promote sedentary lifestyles has become more readily available. Unfortunately, convenience has led us to adopt an unhealthy lifestyle, which in turn has led to obesity. ONA
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