CAIRO: At a small community medical clinic in Cairo, patients enter, complaining of fatigue symptoms. However, even in this poor neighborhood with high incidence of injury and disease, many leave prescription-less and with one recommendation in mind: lose weight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “obesity is one of today's most blatantly visible – yet most neglected – public health problems.” Regionally, in the Middle East, the percentage of obese men and women is 13 percent and 24.5 percent, respectively. In Egypt, the percent is double that: in 2008, 46.3 percent of Egyptian women over the age of 20 were clinically obese. Statistics on the obesity issue are incomplete and inconclusive, providing scarce information on the cause of the drastic regional weight gain seen over the last few decades. Despite the lack of causal data, researchers can agree on one fundamental point: obesity in the Middle East is a growing epidemic, requiring urgent preventative action based on intensive research. The WHO warns that “if immediate action is not taken, millions will suffer from an array of serious health disorders.” The numbers have surely risen since the last comprehensive study was done in 2008, and attempts at developing a fundamental understanding of the obesity picture have come up short. Abdulrahman Musaiger published an article in the Bahrain-based Journal of Obesity sampling weight-gain trends throughout the Eastern Mediterranean Region. He concludes that “there are several dietary, social, lifestyle and cultural factors associated with obesity in this region. In general, comprehensive and in-depth studies on the role of these factors in the occurrence of obesity are lacking.” The disproportionately high rates of obesity among Egyptian men and women can be attributed to a number of social and traditional roots, but any correlations are largely speculation. Dr. Mohsen Khalil, a private physician serving the Al-Sabtia community, comments that among women in poorer areas, there may be an aesthetic and familial pressure to be overweight and, often, obese. We're interrupted by an ill woman entering the clinic accompanied by a friend. Before leaving the room, her friend lingers for a moment, laughs, and asks, “Doctor, can't I gain some weight?” The young lady, already visibly overweight, is part of a trend for women who feel there is shame with being thin, Khalil told Bikyamasr.com. “They believe that they are more attractive, especially to their husbands,” he adds. Indeed, studies show that there are higher rates of obesity among married Egyptian women; however, this could be due to anything from a sedentary lifestyle to family-sized communal meals, and is not necessarily a factor of wealth or education level. Egyptian culture surrounding food and hunger may be a large factor in the growing size and number of overweight adults – and recently, even children. “Fatty meals are major meals,” adds Khalil. “People don't understand ‘don't eat fried foods' or ‘don't eat fats,' if you tell someone to eat boiled food, they say ‘that's impossible',” says Khalil. Health complications of obesity include atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac disease. “It leads to problems with everything. Sometimes you cannot convince someone that being obese is not a good thing. In their opinion, if they are not like the other women in their family, then they are shamefully thin,” Khalil adds about unhealthy family influences. Meal time in Egypt also can be a time for over-eating, as a compliment to the cook. Obesity is a growing epidemic that must be addressed through pervasive educational and nutritional campaigns, yet its roots are largely untraceable. The distinct and shocking numbers of obese adults in Egypt – double that of the region – exist in a void of statistical information on Egyptian culture and habits that would influence the necessary public health intervention. Khalil shakes his head, and with a disappointed look on his face adds, “you know, when people don't have food, they make sandwiches with butter and sugar?” For now – and as long as there is no conclusive research – while the large are getting larger, misinformation will continue to propagate into the shocking norms we often don't see, hidden behind closed doors. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/vNbpE Tags: Fat, featured, Middle East, Obesity Section: Egypt, Features, Health, Latest News
