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THE search is on for six overweight people in the kingdom to take part in a 12-month weight loss programme overseen by health, dietary and fitness professionals.
The American Mission Hospital (AMH) has linked up with the Gulf Air Club to launch a 'weight loss competition' with the prize of a life-changing experience.
Rob Grey, AMH's director of Communications and Development, said: "Do you want to lose weight and are you prepared to really try?"
Three men and three women, aged between 20 and 40 years, will be selected to join from all the entries and they will receive a selection of 'valuable prizes'.
The launch of the contest coincides with yesterday's World Health Day which started in 1950 and marks the anniversary of the World Health Organisation.
Thousands of events have been held around the globe to mark the importance of health and to focus on public health issues that affect the international community.
Every year has a different theme and World Health Day 2009 focused on the resilience and safety of health facilities and health workers treating those affected by emergencies, such as natural disasters or armed conflicts. But, apart from that specific theme, the day offered an opportunity for schools, hospitals and companies to run health events.
Mr Grey added: "The way we live now certainly affects our health. Whereas a century ago doctors in the Gulf were fighting epidemics and diseases such as cholera, malaria and dysentery they now face chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
"These are non-communicable diseases as you don't catch them from someone else. Your genes are partly to blame, but if you become obese or overweight or smoke it doesn't help your risk.
"The word overweight makes you think of food. We all like food and need it to survive but if you consume more calories than you need then guess what? Your weight increases."
Two factors don't help
Fast foods, high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients; and
Inactivity, sitting at work, taking the car everywhere and not walking.
Readers are asked to check their Body Mass Index (BMI) and calorie intake and usage with their physician as individual needs vary.
As a guide BMI is 'body weight divided by height squared'.
25 - 30 is overweight.
30 plus is obese.
Raised BMI is a major risk factor for:
Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) - the world's number one cause of death, killing 17 million people each year.
Diabetes -WHO projects diabetes deaths will increase by over 50 per cent worldwide by 2020.
Musculoskeletal disorders - especially osteoarthritis.
Cancers (breast and colon).
A major concern is that overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese as adults and could develop diabetes and heart disease at a younger age.
WHO statistics
Approximately 1.6 billion adults (age 15+) were overweight in 2005;
by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and over 700 million will be obese.
Over 20 million children under 5 years will be overweight in 2010.
As part of its continuing mission to support health awareness, AMH, in association with Gulf Air Club, is running the weight loss competition starting in May and over the next 12 months.
For further details contact 17248136.
