HMC National Obesity Treatment Centre calls for action on World Obesity Day

Healthcare experts are calling on the community to act now to prevent and treat obesity.

With an estimated one in three adults affected by obesity in Qatar, Prof Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, director of the Qatar Metabolic Institute and co-chair of the National Diabetes Committee said it is a disease that results in multiple complications such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and several cancers.“In the coming year, working together across multiple sectors in Qatar, there will be an action plan to prevent and treat obesity in Qatar. Obesity is a chronic disease and needs multiple approaches for its prevention and treatment,” Prof Abou Samra said.“The National Obesity Treatment Centre at the Qatar Metabolic Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation is a flagship programme to support the holistic treatment of those affected by obesity and its complications.This is combined with the introduction of novel treatments and approaches to obesity as well as research to find the best future treatments for patients.” Prof Shahrad Taheri, senior consultant and director of the National Obesity Treatment Centre said the holistic care of patients with obesity is at the heart of everything at the National Obesity Treatment Centre, which is one of the largest in the world with more than 20,000 patient visits per year.“World Obesity Day, marked on March 4 annually, reminds everyone of the importance of providing good care for people with obesity across all age groups while treating them with dignity as they tackle, and hopefully overcome, this serious chronic disease."We treat obesity with the best treatments available, but also need to work towards obesity prevention,” said, Prof Taheri.Dr Buthaina Alowinati, senior consultant, said that it is a privilege to care for patients with obesity and enable them to make decisions that will ultimately improve their health and well-being.“This complex disease affects multiple organs in the body, mental health, and quality of life. Over the years, we have developed extensive expertise to help people with obesity, but we need to do more to provide the appropriate information to the public to prevent the disease occurring in the first place,” she said.Obesity in adolescence progresses to adult obesity with severe complications. Fatty liver is among the frequent complications of obesity and can be treated.“Fatty liver disease is responsive by weight loss; however, if not treated, it may progress to irreversible liver inflammation and scarring (cirrhosis)” added, Dr Marwa Mokhtar, consultant at the National Obesity Treatment Centre.