Comments on: 86 Restaurants in 16 km

By: lulwa

lulwa — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:27:35 +0000

I find it is so true what you have said about the fact that it will be very hard for children not to become obese if their role models (their parents are in fact overweight themselves)
i was wondering me and a couple of my friends are actually working on a project that will help reduce obesity in children unfortunately we have the same problem you’re facing which is FUNDING I was wondering if we could contact you to ask more about your campaign?

By: salma sultana khan

salma sultana khan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:47:15 +0000

salaam,

i am a student studying nutrition, please could you let me known in which journal i can find this study on obesity in kuwait, and the obesogenic environment.

kindest regards
salma

By: Eiman Alawadhi

Eiman Alawadhi — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:19:33 +0000

This alarming yet very interesting article grabbed my attention when I was in the process of researching the obesity rates in Kuwait. I am currently a graduate student studying nutrition in the US, and I’m working on a project where I will be planning a program targeted towards decreasing the obesity rates in children, through health and nutrition promotion at schools. I would like to know more about the study that counted the restaurants. Was that an official study that I can source in my paper?
I would also like to know more about the POPULATION-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CAMPAIGN and whether the grant for it was actually approved. I am a great advocator of such health prompting campaigns and would really like to help in promoting it after I graduate and come back to Kuwait in a couple of months.

By: intlxpatr

intlxpatr — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:43:26 +0000

It’s not only Kuwaitis who are experiencing all the pre-diabetic and pre-hyper-tension conditons – have you taken a look at the managerial level expats? If we are not out sweeping the streets, most of us are at desks or in similarly sedentary positions, not exercising, and eating too much. Kuwait is bad for our health! I think we ought to have some fun runs, with family walks thrown in, by torchlight, at night, if the days are too hot. We (well Me, I . . .) have got to get going!

By: nadeem

nadeem — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:05:59 +0000

Dear Hassan, thank you for your question. The Al-Sabah Hospital Nutrition Department appears to have a program to manage obesity. Also, Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Isa, faculty at the Department of Community Medicine at the Kuwait University Faculty of Medicine, is a local obesity expert who also maintains a clinic. Mrs. Fawzia Al-Awadi, a nutritionist, also does work in the field.

Good luck.

By: Hassan

Hassan — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:15:02 +0000

Excellent study

Would appreciate if you could refer me to some dietician or neutrician (don’t really understand the difference) as my recent blood report showd high obesity and over weight as well.

By: KTPD

KTPD — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:56:48 +0000

lol just kidding. In all seriousness a change in the way people think has got to be backed up with a campaign and it’s sad that in a country that’s willing to spend so much funding healthcare (public hospitals; not to mention free trips to Germany etc.) can’t come up with an effective primary care strategy. …..

Oh well…. I guess this’ll go in the same pile liver transplants; trauma centers and the diabetic hospital (labelled things that will never be realised within our lifetime)

By: Raed

Raed — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:08:37 +0000

What’s even more sad is that the campaigner can’t even get anyone who cares to fund that project in Kuwait despite extensive marketing and pleads.

By: ::: ShoSho :::

::: ShoSho ::: — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:09:28 +0000

really sad

By: ummabdulla

ummabdulla — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:24:36 +0000

Thanks – this is an important topic… I’m in that overweight, middle-aged women group. I think that since Kuwait is a small country with plenty of resources, the whole community should pull together and try to create an environment that would be more healthy.

One problem in motivating people to exercise is the climate. I might get myself walking (and I do appreciate the walking paths) during the winter, but when it starts getting too hot, that’s over with.

One thing that they used to do in the U.S. was that malls encouraged people to come and walk inside the mall in the mornings, before the stores opened. A large mall like The Avenues would be perfect for that – and I would think that it would be good for business. In Kuwait, it would be a good idea to have have certain times for women only.

The co-op societies should take some responsibility, too. I remember reading about the union of co-op societies funding a hospital for heart disease or something; I thought that was nice, but it would be better if they would get rid of the fast food restaurants and replace them with something more nutritious. And maybe build some entertainment places where kids could do physical activity, like climbing and gymnastics, etc., instead of playing video games.

I know that I eat too much and don’t exercise enough, and I have to take responsibility for that… but it’s certainly true that the environment around one has a lot of influence. There was a study recently connecting obesity in the U.S. to the number of fast food restaursnts in the area.