Bahrain has become the first in the GCC states and one of the select 25 others around theglobe to implement a plan by the World Health Organisation to accelerate the pace ofcontrolling the global obesity epidemic.
Obesity, according to WHO, is one of the most blatantly visible yet one of the mostneglected public health problems today. The global overweight and obesity or “globesity”are taking over many parts of the world. “Millions will suffer from an array of serious healthdisorders if immediate action is not taken,” says WHO.
The new move is also critical for Bahrain, where obesity prevalence is higher than theregional average of 10.3% for women and 7.5% for men, says Global Nutrition Report. Thereport also says that an estimated 39.5% of adult (aged 18 years and over) women and28.4% of adult men are obese in Bahrain.
Diabetes is estimated to affect 11.1% of adult women and 12.8% of adult men. In themeeting yesterday, Bahrain kick-started the fight in coordination with representatives ofWHO.