In Lahore, at least 25,000 hospitalized as Pakistanis overeat during Eid

LAHORE: Over 25,000 people in Lahore’s metropolitan area alone have sought emergency medical help in the past two days, largely due to overeating, doctors say, as Pakistanis celebrated the Eid Al-Adha holiday with meat-heavy feasts.
Eid Al-Adha, the second most important festival of Islam, was observed in Pakistan on Wednesday, with celebrations running through Friday. Muslims traditionally mark the occasion by sacrificing livestock, usually a goat, a cow, a camel, and giving the meat to the poor. Cooking meat dishes is a major part of the festivities.
According to data from government-run hospitals in Lahore — Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, General Hospital, Services Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Shahdara Hospital, Government Mian Mir Hospital, Nawaz Sharif Hospital and Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital — 20,600 people have visited their emergency rooms since the beginning of Eid holidays.
At Services Hospital, gastrologist Dr. Muhammed Shahzad Hafeez said 3,000 patients complaining of heartburn and bloating have been admitted during the period and the numbers are expected to rise.
“People indulge in heavy meat dishes on Eid, which leads to serious problems in the gastrointestinal tract like reflux and acidity which could wreak havoc on the body,” Dr. Hafeez told Arab News.
The number of people seeking help at Lahore’s private hospitals was over 5,000. 
Dr. Prof. Naeem Ahmed, surgeon at Ghurki Hospital and Punjab Medical Center, said most of the people had symptoms of gastroesophageal refluxes, indigestion.
“A sudden change to a different eating routine, coupled with unhealthy food, can affect the digestion process and cause bloating and heartburn,” he said. “According to figures coming from private hospitals, around 5,000 cases have been reported due to overeating on Eid.”
For Dr. Hafeez, the soaring numbers are not surprising and the only way to avoid the painful results of overeating is by not eating too much.
“Typically, we see a spike in overeating cases during this time of the year,” he said. “It is advisable to eat mindfully, as your intestines have a normal pattern of activity — both mechanical and secretory.”