The First Oman Obesity Conference organized by the Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by the National Diabetes and Endocrine Center (NDEC) in collaboration with the Oman Diabetes Association and the Embassy of the United States of America (USA) in Oman began today (Saturday) at the Crown Plaza Hotel – Qurum.

The opening ceremony of the Conference held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Saidi, Minister of Health in the presence of a number of Excellencies, MOH and NDEC senior officials.

The two-day Conference gathers experts and lecturers specialized in the field of obesity treatment and surgery from the Sultanate, the USA, the United Kingdom and France. Around (200) medical cadres, allied medical healthcare professionals, educator nurses and dieticians from various health institutions around the Governorates of the Sultanate attend the Conference.

H.E. Dr. Ahmed Al-Saidi, Minister of Health clarified that currently the obesity disease is constantly raising in the World, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the gulf countries. If the disease is not reduced now, it would be exacerbated and lead to several health, social and economic problems. Therefore, as a first step, organizing this Conference for the first time in the Sultanate is came to raise the health worker’s efficiency.

The Conference aims to discuss the obesity disease, diagnosis methods, and treatment, latest developments of related researches, the most important results of studies, as well as raising and promoting the efficiency of health workers.

The Conference's lectures address a number of important issues including obesity and nutrition, therapeutic feeding for obesity and latest studies in the field of obesity treatment by medications. The lectures also touch on the non-surgical interventions in the treatment of obesity, clinical treatment options for weight gain, steps and therapeutic protocols for obesity and obesity in children and women.

Dr. Noor Al-Busaidi, NDEC Director pointed out that in 2016 the WHO indicated that 39% of adults worldwide are overweight, 13 out of them are suffering obesity. She also added that at the national level in the same year, the obesity rates after the age of 40-year reached 36%, which means that there are about 164,000 patients in this age-group.

Dr. Al-Busaidi stressed that growing these ratios requires more effective mechanisms to reduce obesity. More than two-years, the MOH has initiated in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct national surveys, plans and awareness programs.It is worth mentioning that the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in the Sultanate is currently about 60% of the total adults.  The NDEC in collaboration with the Oman Diabetes Association is seeking to achieve the objectives of obesity control by promoting awareness of healthy lifestyle strengthening the prevention aspect and reducing the rate of diseases related to the obesity.