Up to 900 patients treated monthly at obesity treatment center

DOHA: The National Obesity Treatment Center sees between 800 and 900 patients each month, said Dr Marwa Gomaa Hussein Mokhtar, a consultant at Qatar Metabolic Institute.

Having a BMI equal to or more than 30 is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases. Obese patients should consult with their doctor before beginning a weight-loss journey.

“Individuals with a BMI greater than 30, which approximates to 30 pounds of excess weight, are at risk of developing serious health problems. Once an individual understands what factors are contributing to weight gain, a healthcare professional can help them set appropriate weight loss goals. This year we’ve seen approximately 6,000 patients at the National Obesity Treatment Center,” said Dr Mokhtar.

She said that for some individuals, weight loss is essential to avoid or manage chronic diseases and conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoarthritis. The longer a person is obese, the more significant obesity-related risk factors become.

“The causes of obesity are complex. There may be many interrelated factors, such as genetics, lifestyle, diet, underlying health conditions, and how an individual’s body uses energy,” said Dr Mokhtar.

According to Dr Mokhtar, understanding and making lifestyle changes isn’t always easy but she says it is the key to long-term weight loss. She says in general, the greater the degree of weight loss achieved, the greater the health benefits.

“All of our weight loss programs emphasize lifestyle modifications, specifically adjustments to the type and quantity of food consumed and the incorporation of physical activity. Lifestyle changes are the mainstay of weight loss treatment and are important for the long-term maintenance of weight loss,” said Dr Mokhtar.

World Obesity Day is observed globally today (October 11) to promote practical solutions to end the global obesity crisis.

Reem Al Saadi, Director of Dietetics and Nutrition at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) said that becoming educated about nutrition, which includes learning how to read food labels and following recommended portion sizes can help people make better decisions about what they eat.

“All packaged foods have nutrition labels but many people do not know how to read them. It can be confusing because food labels can display nutrition claims that are misleading. Knowing how to read food labels is especially important for those who have health conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol,” she said.

The serving size and number of servings per package section of a nutrition label show how many servings are in the package and how big a serving is, which is generally listed as ‘cups’ or ‘pieces’.

In addition to listing the energy (kilojoules/calories) within a serving size, the nutrition label also contains information on protein, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, sodium, and fiber. Nutrition labels also include information about food allergens, such as nuts, gluten, and milk.

تشارك مؤسسة حمد الطبية العالم بفعاليات إحياء اليوم العالمي للسمنة على مستوى العالم في 11 أكتوبر بهدف نشر التوعية بالحلول العملية لإنهاء أزمة السمنة العالمية.

وفي هذا السياق أكدت السيدة ريم السعدي مدير قسم التغذية العلاجية بمؤسسة حمد الطبية، إنّ التغييرات الغذائية هي جزء أساسي من معادلة إنقاص الوزن والتثقيف الغذائي من إحدى الخطوات الأولى نحو إنقاص الوزن بنجاح.

وأوضحت السعدي قائلة “إنَّ التثقيف الغذائي، الذي يشمل تعلّم كيفية قراءة ملصقات الطعام، واتّباع حصص الطعام الموصى بها من شأنه أن يساعد الأشخاص على اتخاذ قرارات أفضل فيما يتعلق بنظامهم الغذائي”.

وقالت الدكتورة مروة مختار، استشارية في المعهد الوطني للسكري والسمنة وأمراض الأيض، ان المركز الوطني لعلاج السمنة يستقبل ما بين 800 و900 مريض كل شهر، وشددت على أهمية استشارة المرضى الذين يعانون من السمنة المفرطة للطبيب قبل البدء في رحلة إنقاص الوزن، مضيفة أنّ مؤشر كتلة الجسم الذي يعادل أو يزيد على 30 يرفع من احتمال الإصابة بعدد من الأمراض المزمنة.