Despite global efforts to stem the obesity epidemic, no country has succeeded in decreasing obesity in the last 33 years. Global obesity has more than doubled since 1980, with almost 30 percent of the population overweight or obese.
In the Middle East, obesity rates among adults are exceptionally high at more than 37 percent in Kuwait and more than 35 percent in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, according to the latest WHO figures.
Experts said that one problem is that most campaigns to combat the disease have overly simplified obesity by focusing on healthy eating and exercise, when the reality is that obesity is not a lifestyle choice, but a chronic disease with complex origins.
Weight bias is society’s last acceptable form of discrimination and is largely driven by limited understanding of obesity, said Dr. Nadia Ahmad, founding director of the Obesity Medicine Institute in Dubai and senior adviser for obesity solutions at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Middle East.
Environmental, social, dietary factors and aspects relating to common medications, stress and sleep can all play a role so there is no “one size fits all” approach to combatting obesity, she added, speaking during a webinar organized by Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices (JJMD) to explore the science and societal aspects that underpin obesity.
A growing body of research supports the concept of “set point,” which posits that regardless of what you would like your weight to be, your brain has its own sense of how much body fat you should retain and regulates energy intake and expenditure to maintain levels within a “set point” range.
Measures to introduce healthier food options at schools, to tax sugary drinks and to encourage people to exercise are all important steps toward promoting a healthy lifestyle, but some individuals still struggle to lose weight based on lifestyle modification alone and may require pharmacotherapy and metabolic surgery.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is at the epicenter of an obesity and diabetes crisis, according to Dr. Karl Miller, chief medical officer at JJMD Middle East and vice president of the Obesity Academy Austria. There are 318,000 deaths caused by diabetes each year in the region alone.
The rising social and economic burden of obesity requires a new approach to tackling this chronic disease. The current patient pathway to surgical intervention can take as long as eight years, according to Dr. Ahmad.
She said metabolic surgery is associated with higher diabetes remission rates, lowered mortality risk, fewer complications, higher weight loss and improved quality of life in the short and long term.
Fighting a global pandemic: It’s time to think differently about obesity
Fighting a global pandemic: It’s time to think differently about obesity
Tourism Minister opens Radisson Hotel Madinah
Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of the Tourism Development Fund Ahmed Al-Khateeb recently inaugurated the Radisson Hotel Madinah. The hotel has been enabled by the TDF, a Saudi government fund dedicated to supporting and developing the Saudi tourism sector. The opening of the new property falls within ongoing efforts to enhance the hospitality infrastructure in Madinah and increase its readiness to receive visitors, thereby improving the quality of tourism services in line with the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.
The minister stated that the opening of Radisson Hotel Madinah reflects TDF’s commitment to high-quality and diversified projects that meet visitors’ needs. He said: “Saudi Arabia continues to advance the development of the hospitality sector across different regions to ensure the provision of exceptional accommodation experiences that enhance the visitor journey and support the sustainable growth of tourism, particularly in cities of religious and historical significance such as Madinah.”
TDF CEO Qusai Al-Fakhri said that the fund continues to perform its role as the national enabler of the tourism sector by supporting projects that generate tangible economic and developmental impact. He explained that the hotel’s opening represents a model of TDF’s role in diversified tourism investments and support for the private sector’s hotel projects, which increase accommodation capacity, create job opportunities, and enhance quality of life in Madinah.
The four-star Radisson Hotel Madinah spans an area exceeding 2,300 square meters and comprises 165 rooms. It is located next to Quba Mosque, 12 minutes by car from the Prophet’s Mosque, and 20 minutes from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, making it a convenient choice for city visitors and pilgrims. The hotel includes a restaurant serving guests and visitors, dedicated meeting and event spaces, and sports facilities.
The hotel contributes to stimulating the local economic activity and supporting the tourism and hospitality ecosystem, enhancing Madinah’s readiness to receive increasing numbers of visitors and pilgrims in the coming years.
This project is part of the TDF’s portfolio of tourism projects in various regions of the Kingdom. The TDF has contributed to more than 130 tourism projects in Madinah, with total contributions exceeding SR1.5 billion ($400 million) and accommodation capacity surpassing 2,100 hotel rooms, reaffirming its role in advancing tourism investment, sustainable development objectives, and the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy, in line with the National Tourism Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.
