Unhealthy Habits
Did you know that Qatar stands first on the worldlist of diabetes prevalence. Working here for a couple months in a medical unit, I have realized that a huge number of patients here suffer from diseases clearly linked to modiable risk factors: diet, activity, and smoking.
These are the top three causes of death which are preventable. As to smoking, the Qatar government has been keen on making the country smoke free and I personally feel the situation is not that alarming.
However, diet is a staggering issue here. I have seen that people in Qatar have some most unhealthiest dietary habits in the world. Carbohydrate (sugar, carbonated drinks, sweets etc) and general caloric intake is sky high and people are just unaware that they are unknowingly digging graves for themselves.
Sedentary life style is another major problem here. People here, some highly educated people even, are simply not cognizant that their inactivity can lead to disease and death. They are just not bothered.
The government appears to be unaware of the enormity of this problem. I personally would like to raise this issue in every forum that I can to let the concerned authorities know about it.
To the general public, it is my sincere advice to watch your diet habits and to take up exercise. It is for your own good.
Knowledge shapes behavior and once people are aware of the graveness of the matter, they would themselves start to think seriously about it.
Thanks for the advice Segmund. I also believe that Awarness followed by preventative action is required to change unhealthy habits for all people living in this part of the world.
perhaps that's the side effect of being richest country in world.....http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/business-news/164766-qatar-richest-country-in-the-world-says-qnb-capital-report.html
Funny human approach, you die of malnutrition, pneumonia etc when you’re least resourced; you die of diabetes, strokes etc when you’re over resourced!!
…how beneficial it is, to be moderate!!
Segmund,as you rightly stated,all theories are but theories,let's focus on the facts instead,what % of the tiny local Qatari population is diabetic,obese or both?...surely the numbers don't lie?...FIRST on a GLOBAL list of diabetes prevalance,amongst a population of what, under 300,000 people?...surely there is a problem of EPIC proportions on hand here...and as you rightly stated,it stems from a lack of awareness but also a lack of desire to want to do something about it...BILLIONS being spent on building malls,one even bigger than the next to house the same chain stores & junk food chains,yet how many public parks does this town have???...have you ever had the misfortune of going to Rumailah park by the corniche???...i did,ONCE,promising never to go back there again,imagine the manner in which sardines are stuffed into a can & you get the picture,there is that & Aspire park which is a beautifully designed park with slightly more space available on weekdays BUT it's way too little for the population of the country...how about community clubs with gyms & swimming pools that can be had for a nominal fee??? not everyone can afford the beach club @ the Intercon on a daily basis for a swim or a workout now can they?...there is SO MUCH these guys can do considering their financial ability & yet...it's a real shame if you ask me...
I must admit though I follow a very healthy low fat diet for the most part it's my sweet tooth that I worry about. And weight here is not the only factor. From what I've noticed many folks suffering from diebetese are thin as well. People with the tendancy to put on weight might be more careful but those "naturally skinny" folks should beware too..diabetese is still a risk.
why not start with banning those fast food joints and carbohydrate drinks?
If you have been labelled anything for saying that we should take up more exercise, this was really unjustified.However, I would not comment on the veracity of your theory. All theories are but theories.The thing is that it is an extremely important matter and we must think about it in objective terms. Rather than regarding it as a flaw in our character, why not just take it as a purely health issue and treat it as such.Everyday I am seeing patients with stroke who are younger than 40, the last two I saw this week were 28 and 40 years. I mean this is a trend that must be reversed. We do not want to end up having people with strokes in their teens. This would be a catastrophe. The most important first step is AWARENESS. Awareness at levels. The health ministry has to realize the proportion of the problem and the public has to be aware of the risk posed to their health if they do not change their behavior.For a rich country like Qatar, it is not at all a problem to address this issue in practical terms. For instance, it would not be a deal for the government to build more gyms for people to take exercise in, to launch campaigns about dietary habits and so forth. The money which would be used would be well-spend and would slash health costs in the future. So even in terms of economy, it would be a cost-effective strategy.
sometimes you talk very sensibly..
Thank you Segmund...i've been labelled "anti-Qatar" for stating the very same thing...a culture in which people park BANG outside the grocery & honk for the guy to come to them,rather than walk the 3 steps to the grocery should sum it up sufficiently...consumption of half a lamb & a kilo of buttered rice on a fairly regular basis probably doesnt help matters...I have a theory...bored people eat more...could it just be that they're SO bored that they'd rather eat themselves to death?!...not much else to do apart from terrorizing people on the streets with their land cruisers...must build up quite an appetite...
Thanks for the advice.But what to say. It's human's nature to not to take any advice.