Blame bad dietary habits for obesity, not genes

Dietary habits, excessive consumption of foods with high calories and leading a sedentary lifestyle are more to be blamed for obesity rather than an individual's genes, a senior medical advisor said Wednesday. In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) Sidra Medical and Research Center Medical Advisor and Head of Medical Staff Services Dr. Joachim Dudenhausen, speaking on the role of bad dietary habits in enhancing obesity, said, "Dietary habits, especially nutrition, play a critical role in determining obesity. "The daily caloric intake determines an individual's propensity for obesity in most cases and unfortunately the majority of the global population do not consider the amount of calories they input into their bodies." The specialist in obstetrics, gynaecology and perinatal medicine said health conditions like overweight and obesity are a direct result of behaviour and lifestyle. "Nutrition, diet and exercise play a more critical role in determining whether or not an individual will become obese," he said. Obesity can be controlled by regulating diet, the doctor who has contributed many articles to medical journals and has authored in German language the textbook 'Praktische Geburtshilfe' (Practical Obstetrics) said. "It is important to be aware of one's health. Over consumption is dangerous and can lead to obesity in the long run. "It is important to regulate food intake, eat healthy, and drink plenty of water, especially in this climate. It is recommended that a person should drink around 2-3 liters of water a day. It is also important to reduce the intake of carbohydrates, eat more vegetables, and be aware of your daily caloric intake in general." Dr Dudenhausen reminding people on monitoring what they ingest is timely as it comes just ten days ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, a time of fasting and praying for Muslim believers. This a period where many people suffer from health issues, mainly due to the sudden surge of sugar levels after excessive intake of sweets and foods with high calories following long hours of fasting. Advising on with what foods to break fast, he recommended eating not more than two to five dates and avoiding drinking fluids with high concentrations of sugar. "I recommend initially breaking fast with a small amount of food or something light, for instance a soup and tea without sugar. In general, a person should be consuming 1,800-2,000 calories in a 24 hour period so I would recommend using that standard when considering how much to consume during Iftar. "For some general guidelines, eating small portions throughout Iftar is better than consuming large quantities at once; fish is better than meat; rice is better than bread; and tea and water is of course healthier than soft drinks." This evening, at a symposia organised by Sidra in Doha, Dr Dudenhausen will moderate a discussion on the topics of childhood obesity and during pregnancy with a panel of experts comprising Dr Debra Taubel from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York; Dr Ahmed El Awwa Acting Consultant Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Hamad Medical Corporation and Dr Ellen Wartella Professor of Psychology and Professor of Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University (at Evanston, Illinois).