Obesity epidemic looms on horizon

My cousin is only in her 30s and her doctor recently told her if she doesn't lose weight within the next year she'll end up in a wheelchair. My cousin's excess body weight has begun to eat away at her knees by placing too much pressure on them. If she chooses not to change her lifestyle, she may one day no longer be able to walk.

My brother is 21, and for his age and height, his doctor has told him he is officially obese. If he doesn't change his poor eating habits he risks developing high cholesterol, which would mean he has excessive fat in his blood. This could lead to him suffering a heart attack - yes, a heart attack at the age of 21.

I'm not sharing these stories because they are happening in my family; I'm sharing them because, as a country, we are facing an epidemic.

More than 60 per cent of UAE nationals are overweight, with women representing the majority of our overweight population.

Seventeen per cent of UAE national children aged between six and 16 are obese. Studies by the World Health Organisation rank the UAE among the most obese countries in the world - worse than the United States, for example.

The Minister of Health recently stated that a third of the long-term patients in hospitals in the country have diabetes, and that 24 per cent of UAE nationals are affected with this disease. This is costing our country $200 million (Dh734 million) annually.

So what does this say about us as a society?

The statistics are clear. In our society there is a proliferation of a mindset and a psychology in many of our adults, but alarmingly, also among our youth, a mindset that is consumption-driven, and with a total disregard for the implications of such consumption.

Children are eating so much food, often junk food, that they are becoming obese at a young age. Research shows that obese children often develop into obese adults. Obese adults develop chronic diseases, with consequences for themselves and society.

We are not just talking about people being overweight; we are talking about a psychology and an emotional state that appears to be developing into a trend, which will have serious implications for a young nation.

For the individual, there will be consequences in terms of quality of life, as they will face depression, potentially eating disorders, chronic diseases and, overall, an unproductive life.

For our country, there will be a great burden on our health care system, on government spending. In addition there will also be increased dependence on foreign labour, since the growing number of sedentary people will be unwilling or unable to work. This will make foreign labour even more of a necessity, affecting the demographics of our country even further. Furthermore, we will not be able to maximise the potential of our local human capital in our drive for sustainable development.

I don't like to talk about problems, I like to talk about solutions. Obesity in our society is an epidemic, but there is nothing in this world that cannot be fixed.

It starts at home. You're not doing yourself or your children a favour if you are allowing bad eating habits to set in, if you are not making exercise a part of your daily live, and if you are not imparting a balanced and responsible approach to life.

On a mass level, we need to create awareness about the serious implications of not living a balanced and healthy lifestyle. This must be done consistently through our media as a means of a non-traditional education tool which reaches all segments of society. We also need to create this awareness through our education systems, starting aggressively at the primary and secondary levels.

Many people in the UAE, you may be one of them, suffer from high cholesterol and don't even know it, because there are no symptoms, and this is why high cholesterol is called 'the silent killer'.

So what are you waiting for? This is your chance to take small steps, every day, to change your lifestyle, and the lifestyle of the people you love. Get healthy, and live strong.

Najla Al Awadhi is a member of the Federal National Council.