Official calls for preparing program to treat obesity causing diabetes

KUWAIT: Head of the media office of the Ministry of Health Dr Ghalia Al-Mutairi called for preparing a program to address obesity and educate people on healthy food, saying the rate of obesity among children reached 50 percent.

On the occasion of marking the World Diabetes Day in Al-Ghanim Diwaniya (social gathering place) in the suburb of Abdullah Al-Salem, AlMutairi stressed in a press statement on Saturday the importance of raising awareness on physical activity to help reduce obesity which is a main cause of diabetes and chronic diseases. She noted that Kuwait is one of the top 10 countries in the world suffering from diabetes as about 20 percent of adults and elderly people are diagnosed with the disease.

She said that the 2016 World Diabetes Day will focus on diabetes and aim at caring for patients. This year’s celebration touched on the relation between nutrition and diabetes, she said, adding unhealthy food and obesity are the cause of the Type II Diabetes.

The celebration included awareness lectures delivered by specialists and a health exhibition containing several topics that interest the patients, she made clear. Al-Mutairi said that several government and non-government bodies took part in the event so as to raise awareness on the risks of diabetes and the methods of preventing the disease. — KUNA