Obese people are three times more likely to be admitted to hospital after catching coronavirus, a senior UAE health official said.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention launched an awareness programme to highlight the links between obesity and more severe cases of the virus.
Health experts said people with obesity and chronic diseases were especially vulnerable to infection.
“Since the early days of the pandemic, the ministry has paid special attention to obese patients and those with chronic diseases and has accordingly assigned them special healthcare,” said Dr Hussein Al Rand, assistant under-secretary for centres and health clinics.
“They have been given priority in lab and home testing to limit their contact with others in health centres and are among the priority groups in receiving the Covid-19 jabs.”
Dr Al Rand said people who were suffering from underlying conditions had to take extra care to ensure they were not exposing themselves to greater risk.
"People with chronic conditions such as asthma and lung disease, cardiovascular problems, uncontrolled diabetes, severe obesity, a weakened immune system due to diseases such as HIV or who are undergoing cancer treatment must be more careful to protect themselves against the virus," said Dr Al Rand, who said the severity of Covid-19 increased in those over the age of 60.
Dr Fadila Mohammed Sharif, director of Health Education and Promotion at the ministry, explained the dangers.
“Statistics show that obesity triples the risks of hospitalisation in case of infection, as obesity is associated with weak immunity and reduces lung capacity, making it difficult to breathe,” she said.
Obesity levels have long been an issue of concern in the UAE. The country ranked 26th on the Global Obesity Observatory’s list of countries with high percentages of obesity, which was released in April.
It was behind the US, in 14th place, but ahead of the UK (29th), when it came to obesity levels.
Bolstering public health
A 2019 study of 33,000 Emirati men in the UAE, carried out by Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, found 58 per cent were overweight or obese at the age of 18, with the figure rising to 71 per cent by the age of 29.
One of the UAE's leading obesity experts said the population needed to change if the problem was to be overcome.
“People are too quick to get surgery to try and solve their issues with obesity,’ said Dr Ayman Soliman, consultant in the general unit of laparoscopic and bariatric surgery (obesity) at Medcare Hospital Al Safa.
“It’s better to focus more on a healthy diet and getting proper exercise than just relying on surgery to fix the issues.
“Many people get surgery to solve their weight issues, but the problems come back because they still don’t change their lifestyles.”
Healthier lifestyles
Researchers at the Arabian Wellness and Lifestyle Management centre at RAK Hospital studied more than 3,200 people in the emirate to understand factors that put people at increased risk from coronavirus.
The results, released in February, found overweight people were 62 per cent more likely to develop complications.
Patients with a diet heavy in fast food were 51 per cent more at risk; smokers 45 per cent; people over the age of 50, 40 per cent; and those suffering from heart problems 33 per cent.
“Obesity and bad eating habits increase the risk of Covid-19 infection and its complications,” said Dr Biju Viswambharan, specialist in internal medicine at NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
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"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson
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"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)
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"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
and
"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
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The five pillars of Islam
Test
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Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
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Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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