: The World Innovation
Summit for Health (WISH) – a Qatar Foundation initiative – in collaboration
with Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), has identified childhood obesity
as a significant issue in Qatar and is developing a flagship report to inform
and influence policy that will improve the lives and wellbeing of children in
the region. 

Obesity can
lead to long-term health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease,
which can be distressing for individuals, life limiting, and can put
significant strain on health systems.

“Childhood
obesity in Qatar: National policy proposal through multisectoral approaches” will
be published in the first quarter of 2024, but initial findings were presented recently
at the Eastern Mediterranean Region Healthy Cities Conference 2023, hosted by
the MOPH and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Doha. The conference
brought together international experts to help advance urban health strategies
and lead the way towards healthier cities and communities across the region and
beyond.

Speaking to
conference delegates, Maha El Akoum, Manager of Content and Policy at WISH, underscored
the urgent need to tackle obesity in urban settings due to the long-term health
risks.

“More than one billion people worldwide are obese,
39 million of whom are children under the age of five, and 340
million are adolescents.

“In
Qatar, childhood obesity affects 27.7% of the population. Given its multi–factorial nature, it is imperative that governments
take a multi–sectoral approach to addressing this global
epidemic, and for
this reason, the report proposes a model that addresses policies at multiple
levels and across a range of government sectors.”

The upcoming WISH
and MOPH report aims to not only draw attention to childhood obesity in Qatar, where
more than a quarter of children are clinically obese, with similar levels found
in countries across the region – but to also offer innovative solutions,
particularly by suggesting ways that national policies can be developed to encourage
healthy behaviors that lead to a decrease in the prevalence of obesity.

“Some examples of policies that we will be recommending in our
report include evidence-based interventions at a governmental level such as
restricting the marketing to children of food and drinks high in fats, sugar
and salt, taxing unhealthy foods and drinks, and providing better access to
affordable, healthy food,” El Akoum says. 

“It will also
include recommendations for urban cities to build accessible spaces for safe
walking, cycling, and recreation, and for schools to help households teach
children healthy eating habits from an early age.”

Findings such
as the impact and legacy of major sporting events on health and well-being in
cities, how to address climate change in a dry, urban environment, and how to
promote physical activity in cities across the region, will also be included in
the report.

The commitment
of Qatar’s MOPH to using a holistic, forward-thinking approach to building a
healthier society, means that Qatar is well placed to markedly reduce obesity
levels in the country.