When 29-year-old Riad Sharif first arrived in Dubai to settle down, he weighed 68 kilograms. Now, a few years later, he weighs 86kg, an excess of 18kg.
"I was rather thin before I moved to Dubai, never over 65kg, but things changed," he said.
Moving to a new house and starting a new job comes with a new lifestyle, intense emotional stress and unusual eating habits that the body takes time to adjust to. Those who move to Dubai often start to eat heavier meals at odd hours because of their work schedules and time limits, and few take the time to ensure their diets are healthy.
"My previous job involved walking, but now I'm restricted to the office. . . Most of the food I eat is junk food. I have breakfast at a coffee shop and a good meal for lunch and another for dinner. I almost always order food; although I know how to cook, I never cook myself," said the education industry executive.
Dr Wafa'a Hilmi Ayesh, head of the Clinical Nutrition Department at Rashid Hospital, meets many patients with cases similar to Sharif's.
Eating habits
"The first reason for gaining weight is that most people who move here come from places where they move more and walk a lot. In the UAE, people rely on cars for transportation. When they don't spend the same amount of energy, and even if they consume the same amount of food, people gain weight," Dr Wafa'a said.
"In addition, the UAE is a hot country and people don't drink enough water. Drinking water is essential to retaining body temperature and not gaining weight," she added.
Eating habits is another factor that exacerbates the problem. People start to skip meals thinking it will help reduce weight, not knowing that it has the opposite effect.
"Skipping meals, which often happens when people engage in stressful work is also a way to gain weight because the body considers this starvation and starts storing fat to produce it when needed. Even one biscuit will make you gain weight if you skip meals," she said.
Sleep is also a factor in gaining weight. Many people working in the UAE work long hours and dedicate less hours to sleep, she said.
"I get around six hours of sleep every night because there are only so many hours a day to finish tasks," said Mirna Harb who works in Dubai and lives in Sharjah.
According to Dr Wafa'a, not getting enough sleep makes people put on weight faster.
How stressed are you?
The Life Events Stress Scale measures a person's stress level and his or her likelihood of developing an illness. Developed by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1970, the scale lists stressful events in a person's life, and scores it according to the stressor level.
The following are a list of stressors that may be applicable to new expatriates:
1) Change to a different line of work: 36 points
2) Change in responsibility at work: 29 points
3) Change in living conditions: 25 points
4) Revision or change in personal habits: 24 points
5) Change in residence: 20 points
6) Change in work hours and responsibilities: 20 points
7) Change in recreational habits: 19 points
8) Change in religious or spiritual activities: 19 points
9) Change in social activities: 18 points
How much did you gain in your first year of stay in Dubai? Why do you think it happens? Tell us about some of the urban myths connected with this issue at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form below to send your comments.
Your comments
I have been here for four months and I have already gained 15 kilos. I believe this is due partly to the lack of physical activity. Back in France, I used to walk for at least 45 minutes a day, play football and jog once a week.
The weather and the amount of hours at work here makes it difficult.
Meynier
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 15, 2008, 14:46
I can not help but notice that while food shopping in the UAE, I found very few products that have a low fat or low calorie alternative.
Jan
Chester,UK
Posted: August 15, 2008, 12:40
I weighed 84 kilos when I arrived in 1999 and now I am 105 kilos. The hot weather in July and August makes it difficult for me to maintain my exercise regime.
Wakil
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: August 15, 2008, 11:36
I moved to the UAE weighing around 75 kilos. I was rather thin all my life. And being quite tall, I looked a little thin and people were asking me to gain weight. At the moment I weigh around 95 (after three years) and I am actually trying to loose weight for the first time in my life!
Omar
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: August 15, 2008, 11:36
I came to the UAE weighing 68 kilos, and two years later, I feel I've lost weight.
Ed
Manila,Philippines
Posted: August 15, 2008, 09:22
