The annual diabetes awareness campaign kicked off at the National Guard Hospital in Jeddah Sunday aimed at curbing the “dramatic increase” of the disease in the Kingdom. Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaim, a consultant on diabetes and the main organizer, said the campaign was urgently needed. The event was officially kicked off by Dr. Mohamed Bakulka, Executive Manager of Health Affairs at the National Guard Hospital in the Western Province. “We have this campaign annually because of the dramatic increase in the number of diabetes patients, which now stands at a rate of between 14 to 25 percent in the world population. In Saudi Arabia, the rate is 24 percent in those above the age of thirty,” Al-Tuwaim said Sunday. Al-Tuwaim said obesity was the main cause of the rise of diabetes in the Kingdom. “Every extra kilogram of a person's weight will increase by five percent the danger of his having diabetes. “The main reasons behind the prevalence of obesity are overeating, the lack of activity due to prolonged sitting in front of televisions and computers and the lack of exercise. “Also, the consumption of fatty fast food and soft drinks, which contain a large amount of sugar, has led to an increase in the proportion of people suffering from obesity,” he said. “Genetic factors account for only one percent of the causes of obesity in Arab societies,” Al-Tuwaim said. He added that as part of the campaign, the National Guard Hospital is holding a three-day expo that brings together drugs companies, hospitals and clinics to present their latest findings on treatment of the disease. “Around 35 medical companies are participating in the campaign and expo, including representatives from many government and private hospitals,” Al-Tuwaim said. The National Guard Hospital is also planning to organize a 3rd Medical International Conference to coincide with World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14. This will take place with the help of Dr. Hawazin Zarif, Consultant Endocrinology and Diabetes physician at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Jeddah. “We are planning to gather doctors, diabetes patients, family physicians and general physicians to discuss the latest developments in the techniques used to avoid diabetes,” Al
