Obesity is a risk factor for a host of chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders (affecting the muscles and the bones), hypertension, respiratory problems and some cancers, such as gastric and colon cancers.
The UAE already has the second highest prevalence rate of diabetes in the world according to the International Diabetes Federation.
GCC countries, including the UAE, have already reported heart attacks striking younger patients, some in their 20s, says the Emirates Cardiac Society. Colorectal cancer, or cancer of the colon and bowel, is the number one cancer in the UAE, according to the Ministry of Health.
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