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STILL proving to be a serious concern in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, obesity burdens nearly one-third of the adult population who suffer from weight management issues, diabetes and other related diseases. The GCC is experiencing not so different health problems from other developing countries particularly in Asia where public spending is on the rise, work routines are tighter, and the impact of fast food eating has become an everyday thing.
The food and beverage landscape continues to develop in the GCC, significantly changing the eating habits of local consumers. The presence of more groceries and convenience outlets and the growth of fast-food restaurants have expanded the options and make packaged food, sweet and savoury snacks, processed meat products, and sugar-laden beverages readily available. But the laid-back lifestyle in the GCC has somewhat remained. Not an ideal combination.
Most obese: Kuwait, Qatar
According to a study published in The Lancet Medical Journal, around 2.1 billion are obese worldwide, from 857 million around 33 years ago. Across the world, one in five deaths are caused by bad diet with obesity marked as the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the primary reason of metabolic diseases associated with death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman whilst in Bahrain, it is the second highest cause of death. According to the Lancet report, Kuwait and Qatar rank fourth and fifth most obese countries on the planet, with more than 50% women in Kuwait, Libya, Qatar and Samoa rendered obese.
According to the Health Authority Abu Dhabi, UAE, cardiovascular diseases are the reason for nearly 35% of all death cases in 2015. Heart surgeries are amongst the most expensive medical procedures and unhealthy diet is a major cause of heart-related issues.
A report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by EY, said close to 20% of the GCC’s adult population suffers from diabetes, particularly Type-II diabetes. The highest driver of this in the region is obesity.
Based on 2015 statistics from the International Diabetes Federation, some 19.3%, or almost one in five people in UAE between the ages of 20 and 79 – reported having Type-II diabetes.
Dr Walid Shaker, consultant and cardiac surgeon at Burjeel Hospital in the UAE blamed stressful lifestyle and bad dietary habits lead to cardiovascular issues.
“About 30% of expats here eat only one-time meal a day because of work requirements. And this will be in the evening, which is a very harmful behaviour. Your evening meal will carry a lot of fat and carbohydrates, and you don’t have time to burn these many calories. All this fat and carbohydrates will accumulate inside the vessels and cause blockage over the long term,” Khaleejtimes.com reported Shaker as saying.
Too sedentary, poor eating habits
With temperatures soaring for most of the year, it’s no surprise people living in the GCC shun outdoor sports and physical activities such as cycling, walking and running, that would otherwise help them lose excess calories. Meanwhile long and strenuous work routines force people to skip healthy meals and opt for fast food and quick meal options. Needless to say, limited physical movement and poor diet will lead to health risks, especially amongst deskbound professionals whose jobs don’t take them far from the four walls of their offices most of the day.
Soft drinks: A ticking timebomb
Sweetened beverage consumption may play a significant role in adding to obesity woes. The GCC represents a USD 8.4 billion soft drinks market, of which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leads with 68% sales at USD 5.8 billion. United Arab Emirates follows second with USD 2 billion. Around 40% of the total sales are from carbonates, owed to the Kingdom’s high consumption rate of 88 liters per capita, Euromonitor said. Juice drives the second largest component at USD 2.3 billion.
Taking in the seriousness of the issue, regional governments are acting to avoid the impending public crisis. Saudi Arabia recently announced tax on sugary beverages as part of its Vision 2030.
Whilst government encourages consumers to avoid sugary beverages, low sugar alternatives are expected to gain.
Sweetly moving forward
Some would put the blame on the food and beverage industry for manufacturing and selling products high in fat, sugar, artificial ingredients, preservatives, and so on. It’s not fair to say because not everything out there is bad for the health. And the good news is that the industry is switching gears to develop what consumers are looking for – sweet but healthier alternatives. Demand for sugar-free products and products with substitute sweeteners are picking up as sugar reduction becomes the trend.
An increase in demand for natural ingredients has put a dent on the specialty sweeteners sector in developed markets though it remains strong in emerging regions such as Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
Food and beverage manufacturers are forced to heed the call for sugar reduction, and big corporations are moving on to this phase. It can take months to years to reformulate products as manufacturers have to be sure to keep the same flavours and textures intact despite a change in ingredients. The balance between healthy and delicious is a tough one that they have to get right in order for a product to succeed.
In 2015, over 588,000 tonnes of sweeteners were part of the conventional snacks category, as reported by Euromonitor. However, research and development in this sector shifted focus on finding and formulating with other natural alternatives, following the success of stevia, a substitute and sugar sweetener extracted from the leaves of plant stevia rebaudiana. Other natural sweeteners include agave, monk fruit, palm sugar.
Healthier beverages
The move to reduce sugar in the diet is also increasing the value of other beverages. The value of the Saudi tea market is growing annually at 5% and should be worth USD 441 million by 2022, in which green tea is showing significant growth of USD 176 million. Bottled water is also gaining traction across the region, as UAE is posing 9% growth rate annually, according to a report by Euromonitor International.
Obesity paves way for healthcare spending
According to a study released by the Global Burden of Disease, healthcare spending in the UAE could double to USD 47.5 billion by 2040, as obesity grows. Globally, the child mortality figures under the age of five have reduced to half since 1990. But in the UAE as of 2005, metabolic risks due to obesity and high BMI (body mass index) are one of the highest contributing factors of death and illness. In Britain, leading causes of death are associated with heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s with the UK expected to record USD 421.4 billion on healthcare spending by 2040, up from USD 239.3 billion in 2014.
References
www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/abu-dhabi/lifestyle-choices-diet-leading-to-heart-problems-among-youth-
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/kuwait-ranks-4-global-obesity-half-women-kuwait-overweight/
https://blog.euromonitor.com/2017/07/where-do-sugar-sweeteners-stand-today.html
www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171221005520/en/Global-Sugar-Substitutes-Market-Demand-Natural
www.thenational.ae/uae/obesity-will-see-uae-healthcare-spending-double-by-2040-1.629634
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