KUWAIT: Kuwait occupies a top place among countries of the most obese people around the world and that is due their dietary choices and the popularity of fast food in the country. The dangerous rise in obesity rates has led to a surge in chronic diseases that come with obesity. The body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more indicates excess weight and obesity occurs at 30 and above. Kuwait registers high rates of stomach stapling compared with other countries around the world.

Doctors in Kuwait, which has a population of around four million, perform 5,000 stomach stapling operations a year. The Cancer Aware Nation (CAN) brings awareness to the dangers of obesity as it is among the most important risk factors for cancer, particularly breast, colon and rectal cancers. CAN Board Chairman Dr Khalid Al-Saleh said continued cooperation with the health ministry, particularly the chronic diseases department resulted in several proposals aimed at tackling obesity in the country.

The cooperation began with the “Reduce Your Weight in Ramadan” program, he said. This year’s turnout for the program, which is held in cooperation with HAIDO Academy, is 45 percent higher than last year. This reflects an increase in awareness of obesity dangers among citizens and residents. Saleh urged citizens and residents to call 97355516 on WhatsApp to benefit from the program specially that Ramadan is not over and it is a good opportunity to join the program to stay away from obesity and its dangers. He said that CAN’s campaigns for next year prioritize obesity because of how important it is to fight it.- Agencies