Residents could soon be stepping out in safety and helping to fight the kingdom’s obesity crisis if the government supports a new healthy lifestyle proposal.
Creating a walkway in every housing project developed by the Housing Ministry will allow people to exercise within close proximity of their homes.
MP Dr Masooma Abdulraheem is spearheading the proposal and also highlighted that the pathway provision would protect people from crazy drivers too.
“The Housing Ministry spares no efforts to provide adequate housing for citizens across Bahrain in addition to developing creative solutions to reduce the requests on the waiting lists,” she said.
“And, including a walkway concept into the preliminary designs of all projects would solve many issues such as public health and safety, in addition to helping more people adopt a healthier lifestyle.
“It’s a goal we are all working towards – especially after the alarming obesity statistics recently released by the Health Ministry.”
Dr Abdulraheem also proposed developing short and long-term nationwide strategies to combat obesity over the next 15 years.
Dr Abdulraheem
Official statistics released by the Health Ministry highlighted that 42.8per cent of citizens and 25.7pc of residents were obese.
“These numbers are of concern and we should not wait for them to rise further before taking action and a serious step towards eradicating obesity altogether,” she added in the written proposal.
“Obesity is a large obstacle for society as a whole and for individuals suffering from it due to its impact on their mobility and health.
“The authorities must take prompt steps towards tackling the issue. The Health Ministry, for example, must release more official statistics to raise awareness about the imminent dangers of obesity while stressing the importance of adopting healthier lifestyles to avoid the need for medication or surgery.”
The GDN previously highlighted the launch of the Bahrain Obesity Academy to train 45 Bahrain-based doctors on all aspect of obesity prevention, diagnosis and management.
And, restaurants will be required to display calorie information on their menus by the end of the year as part of the government’s renewed efforts to tackle the problem.
Nutritional facts of food served will need to be mentioned on physical and online menus, food delivery platforms and food labels.
“The Health Ministry must ramp up its awareness efforts while collaborating with the Education Ministry to target children to adopt healthier lifestyles and avoid sugary foods,” she added.
“A long-term strategy must be implemented across Bahrain to reduce the high-percentages of obesity which will further enhance public health by reducing visits to clinics and hospitals.”
Obesity is serious because it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes and a reduced quality of life. It is also associated with the leading causes of death worldwide, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. Obesity stigma is also associated with significant physiological and psychological consequences, including increased depression, anxiety and decreased self-esteem.
Globally, the estimated annual health care costs of obesity-related illnesses are a staggering burden on businesses and government budgets.
The proposals have been submitted to Parliament Speaker Fouzia Zainal to be discussed in future sessions.
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