Muscat – Physical inactivity and unhealthy food intake are the main causes of rise in obesity in the sultanate, especially among women.

The Ministry of Health, represented by the National Diabetes and Endocrine Centre of the Directorate General of The Royal Hospital and the Non-Communicable Diseases Control Department of the Directorate General of Primary Health Care, organised on Wednesday a workshop to discuss the regional recommendations for the treatment and management of adult obesity in the Gulf and Lebanon in collaboration with World Obesity Federation.

The virtual event was held under the auspices of H E Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Sa’eedi, Minister of Health.

The workshop aimed to review the recently launched regional recommendations for the treatment and management of obesity in adults in the Arab Gulf region and Lebanon, which was launched in October 2020, and discuss its implementation in Oman, according to a press release issued by the ministry.

Participants discussed all aspects of providing services for managing obesity in Oman, including the current opportunities and challenges. The workshop was also an opportunity for all participants to establish realistic steps to improve the treatment and management of obesity in adults in Oman.

Prof John Wilding, president of World Obesity Federation, referred to the growing burden of obesity globally and discussed the efforts made by the federation in raising awareness and the introduction of feasible interventions to reduce this burden.

In his speech, H E Dr Sa’eedi pointed to the increasing rates of obesity in Oman, especially among women, and the increasing burden on society due to the rise of risk factors, especially physical inactivity and unhealthy food intake.

He also pointed to the important role that the health sector plays in ensuring the development of a clear and integrated pathway which will help remove society’s stigma of obesity and encourage patients to seek much-needed help.

In 2017, the National Non-communicable Disease Survey reported that 66 per cent of the population in Oman is overweight and obese. The prevalence of obesity in the sultanate has increased to 23.2 per cent among males and 39.3 per cent among females. Statistics also indicated the increasing incidence of obesity and overweight among children and those in younger age groups.