Dire need for obesity management in UAE, say experts at Zulekha Hospital

DUBAI - January 16, 2014: The alarming prevalence of obesity among the UAE residents would continue at higher levels, if effective weight-loss management programmes have not been adopted to cover more patients, warn healthcare experts.

It's time to curb the worrying dominance of obesity among the UAE population, as the obese people are at higher risks of suffering from a range of chronic, non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, type-2 diabetes, cardiac disorders, metabolic disorders and even some forms of cancer.

Obesity is a complex, progressive, dangerous and multi-factorial disease. The condition is an accumulation of excessive body fat to the extent that it harms the health over time. Various diseases are linked with obesity and physical inactivity.

Speaking at a press conference in Dubai, Dr. Hussam Al Trabulsi - Specialist Bariatric Surgeon at Zulekha Hospital Dubai, Dr. T. Sathish Kumar- Specialist Laparoscopic Surgeon at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah and Dr. Murtaza Pithawala- Specialist General Surgeon at Zulekha Hospital Dubai spelled out the vital contributing factors of obesity and ways to overcome this condition.

The panel of experts from Zulekha Healthcare Group emphasized, “Diet and exercise are the first treatment methods, which require a person's determination and willingness to maintain the new body weight. Staying physically active is inevitable to lose and maintain body weight. People lose the excessive bodyweight by developing a healthy lifestyle, should also practice healthy eating behaviors along with indulging in regular physical activities.”
 
“Losing weight is challenging, yet maintaining body weight is considered the most challenging part of weight-loss process. Usually, weight-loss programmes should be supervised by health professionals to obtain satisfactory result without developing nutritional problem,” advised Dr. Hussam.

“Weight-loss surgery offers one of the best opportunities to improve health and reduce obesity related illnesses,” he added.

Dr. Sathish said, “Multiple factors such as genetic, physical inactivity, specific health conditions, certain medications and unhealthy lifestyle are involved in the development of obesity. However, sedentary lifestyle has become the most common and leading cause for the prevalence of obesity. In fact, excessive fat is generated when calorie intake is much higher than the calories utilized by the body to provide energy.” 

An exclusive Bariatric Surgery Programme offered at Zulekha Hospital in Dubai helps obese people lose weight through integral and specialised surgical treatment for obesity, a major health issue among the UAE residents. The programme provides a complete range of bariatric care services to support patients throughout the entire treatment process.

The state-of-the-art centre for Bariatric Surgery, combining expertise and global standard resources in obesity treatment, offers comprehensive care for individuals who are seeking surgical solutions for weight control. Individuals suffering from morbid obesity are offered gastric bypass surgery, duodenal switch surgery or gastric sleeve surgery, in addition to innovative weight loss treatment and services - all under one single roof.

The bariatric experts at Zulekha Hospital elaborated, “Our programme promotes weight loss management by restricting food intake and, in some procedures, altering the digestive process. We always have been in the forefront of introducing the latest advancements in the medical field, as part of the improvement of medical services at Zulekha Healthcare Group.”

Dr. Kishan Pakkal, Director Operations at Zulekha Healthcare Group, said, “This programme will have a significant impact in the UAE's health care sector, as prevalence of obesity accelerates rates of non-communicable diseases in the region.”

“It has been a growing public health challenge for everyone albeit expatriates are far more likely to suffer from it due to a host of reasons. However, unhealthy diet has been recognised as the most major contributor to increase the number of obese people in the UAE,” he concluded.