Jassim, a Syrian expatriate student in Jeddah, feels piling on the pounds is very easy in the Kingdom. Sedentary lifestyles, calorie-rich food and lack of access to healthy activities are among the few reasons which contribute to expatriates gaining weight almost immediately after they come to the Kingdom, she said. “I lost 4 kg when I traveled to Syria and regained it immediately after my arrival back to the Kingdom. Unlike here, in Syria we have an active lifestyle. I usually walk to a nearby bazaar and I hardly travel by car there,” she said. “In Syria we eat healthier food like salads, and farm grown vegetables and fruits. Unfortunately, due to the abundance of fast food restaurants here, we consume more unhealthy food with cold drinks that contributes a lot towards gaining weight,” she lamented. About 52 percent of Saudi Arabia's men and 66 percent of women are either obese or overweight, according to Saudi press reports. Among adolescents the rate is 18 percent and in preschoolers over 15 percent. Most expatriates in the Kingdom live in nuclear families and have very few relatives here, and the only means of recreation are going out to malls or entertainment centers, followed by a meal out at a restaurant. “Restricted activities and no friends to hang out with make life boring, and I unintentionally spend my time at home eating snacks and chocolates,” Hala said, adding that she tries her best to avoid junk food and fizzy drinks to control her weight. She also mourned that due to the dependency on male relatives here, she is unable to make it to gyms. “My father doesn't have enough time to drive me to and fro from the gym. Moreover, most gyms are either inaccessible -- located very far from my place -- or unaffordable. I used to pay SR1500 per month at a gym but I couldn't continue it because it was too expensive,” she said. Although there are many gyms in the Kingdom for men and women alike, most expatriates don't have the time and energy to work out, after a hard day at work. Most polyclinics, hospitals, hotels and beauty salons have separate gym arrangements for males and females, with charges ranging from SR150 to SR 500 and onward depending on the facilities available. In most expatriate men, being desk bound for long hours at work becomes the main reason for putting on weight. Qavi Ansari, an airlines employee, said, “Long working hours and the stress at work make it difficult to make time for exercise. Taking meals late at night and then sleeping soon after it also results in weight gain.” “One needs loads of effort just to maintain weight here. I realized just in time that I was putting weight and must control it before it becomes a problem. I have stopped snacking between meals and started eating on time, and taking a decoction with the juice of half a lemon squeezed in it, which has me in losing weight,” he added. Dr. Hina Khan, a general physician at Hannan Hospital in Jeddah, said that eating habits carry utmost importance in weight maintenance. “One eating rule rules in weight management: eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. But, unfortunately people hardly follow it here in the Kingdom,” she said. She regretted that most office-going people skip breakfast and take a heavy lunch and dinner. “Eating a heavy lunch and dinner with little or no exercise affects one's metabolism and ultimately results in weight gain. Most people gain weight because of their unrestricted diet and sedentary lifestyle -- there's nothing in the atmosphere of the Kingdom that makes one automatically gain weight!” she said. Lamia Kurdi, a clinical dietician and diabetic educator said that gaining weight steadily may lead to obesity, which is a condition in which the body does not lose enough energy, causing fat to be stored in body. Obesity is not only due to overeating and a sedentary lifestyle, but in some cases it could be due to hormonal disorders and genetic reasons as well. “It is comparatively easy to maintain rather than to lose weight once it is gained. So, prevention is better than cure. An obese person has to face more than just physical challenges; they also have to combat mental challenges,” she said. Excess weight may cause trouble in moving around, and cause serious risks to health like heart diseases, metabolic syndromes, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels, diabetes and joint disorders. “Overweight people could be more prone to depression, and develop an inferiority complex or a sense of self-rejection and frustration,” she said. Here are some initial guidelines recommended by Kurdi to maintain weight: q Eat healthy, low-calorie food that is high in fiber content, which gives a feeling of satiety. Avoid junk or fast food as much as possible. q Take three main meals with no snacks in between. Eat moderately and count the calories in each meal, if possible. q While buying groceries choose what is healthy, less oily or sweet. q Avoid beverages like cold drinks including flavored fruit juices, since they contribute empty calories and very little nutrition. Eat fruits and vegetables instead. Drink plenty of water. q Avoid salty, smoked and pickled food. q Include low fat dairy, sugar-free or low calorie sweetener (aspartame-free), low carb and organic products in diet. Increase intake of complex carbohydrates, calcium-rich and iron-rich food. q Encourage eating together as a family, rather than in front of the TV or computer as it encourages overeating. q Do not watch TV more than two to three hours as it encourage sitting that stores calories. q Try walking to get to nearby places and opt for stairs over elevators. These days, weight reduction surgeries and medicines are prescribed by doctors for severely overweight people, but that should be taken as the last resort. Most doctors and dieticians hold the view that losing weight through natural means is better than adopting strict diets and regimes, since they might be instrumental in losing weight more rapidly, but affect one's mental and physical health too. __
