ShareBy Faten Omar
KUWAIT: Social media is a rich source for boosting health awareness to reach out to a large number of people. Nutritionist Shaikhah Al-Mesbah decided to raise awareness about bad eating habits through Instagram, where she discusses diet culture and clarifies common misconceptions about weight loss through drawings and animated videos. "There are a lot of cultural bad eating habits and practices in the Kuwaiti society, which is why I created my account 'Diet Nerd' to discuss them and deliver a message on how to avoid them in the simplest way - which is through drawings," Mesbah told Kuwait Times.
Shaikhah got inspired by watching educational videos by Khan Academy. "During my studies in the US, I used to watch videos of Khan Academy, which explain scientific information through visual drawings. When I came to Kuwait, I wanted to do something different and unique, so I had the idea of 'Diet Nerd', which launched in 2019. I wanted to explain things by drawings to get people's attention, because most people are visual learners and can understand the delivered information better," she said.
The Jassim family.Lack of willpower is not always the reason behind overeating and gaining weight. According to the nutritionist, bad habits people have developed without realizing can lead to a lot of weight gain. "My drawings are about a Kuwaiti traditional family, where Jassim is the son, Bu Jassim the father, and Um Jassim the mother, who suffer from bad eating habits that people have in a society, like eating a lot of food from restaurants and consuming sweets. The kid Jassim always follows different diet trends," she said.
Eating 'for fun'
Mesbah explains the mistakes people make in the Kuwaiti society and tries to help them change and fix their habits, explaining there are a lot of bad eating habits in Kuwait, where restaurants are everywhere and people eat for fun due to not having entertainment places. "The environment in our culture is bad, wherein each house there is a table always full of sweets and pastries, along with gatherings that some people hold daily while serving unhealthy food. In addition to the hospitality, the more food you provide, the more generous you look. We have a habit to force people to eat, or they will be upset," she told Kuwait Times.
Mesbah pointed out that unhealthy food always leads to diseases, and people can control such an environment by telling others what they're going through. "I have a patient who has diabetes. She is struggling with people who offer her sweets. I told her to tell them about her case, otherwise she will be taking medications her entire life. The gathering is for a short period of time, but your health is for your whole life. When it comes to eating, many of us have developed habits. Even if you've had the same eating pattern for years, it's not too late to make improvements," she said.
Regarding trendy diets, Mesbah said: "We have diet trends every day. As a nutritionist, I cannot keep up with them. Most diets promise you to lose weight in a short time, but if your diet is not balanced and you consume foods that don't provide enough nutritional value, your nutrient levels will start to decline. There are many dangers of nutrient deficiency."
"Eating sweets like it's popcorn."More harm than good
She added that many diets promote unhealthy eating habits and foster a negative relationship with food and in the long run, they can do more harm than good when it comes to your health. "I like people to follow a balanced diet, not miss any food groups and involve a variety of food options. Also, people must consult a doctor before following any diet. A balanced diet is a vital part of maintaining good health and fuels the body's needs to work effectively. Without balanced nutrition, the body is more prone to illnesses," Mesbah said.
Mesbah's content on Instagram has received positive reactions and most of her followers have expressed their appreciation for showing them the right way in a fun, animated way. Her videos are also used by teachers to educate students and by other nutritionists to spread awareness among their patients.
Kuwait has witnessed a steady rise in the prevalence of obesity among children and adults. According to a Global Obesity Observatory study in 2022, Kuwait is the first in the Arab world and the 14th in the world in terms of obesity, with prevalence among adults reaching 34.28 percent in males and 47.08 percent in females, in addition to 25.35 percent in boys and 20.20 percent in girls. Obesity rates in Kuwait are attributed in particular to the unhealthy lifestyle that many people follow in the country, whether in terms of the quality of food they eat or the lack of exercise.
