7 seriously crazy UAE health statistics  JA NU A RY 11 , 2015FOR Y EA R S NOW T H E UA E H AS B EE N   GRA BB ING W OR L D H E AD L INE S W I T H I T S I NC RE D IB L E EC ONOMIC D EV E LOPM ENT. BU T A S I S T O BE E XP E C T ED , “D ISE A SE S OF AFF LUE NC E” A R E NOW OU T OF C ONT ROL . W E AR E R EFE R R ING MA INLY T O C H R ON I C N ON-COM MUN IC AB L E D IS EA S ES (NC D S) S U CH A S D IA B ET E S , H EA RT D IS EA SE , OB E S I T Y , CA NC E R , AND MORE . JU S T H OW BA D IS T H E S IT U AT ION IN T H E U A E? L ET ’ S TA K E A LOOK AT SOME OF T H E M OR E SH OC K ING STAT IS T IC S .

1. UAE children more obese than US children

It’s no secret that the younger generation of Emiratis and people living in the UAE are plagued by disease. Yes obesity is a disease, and it opens the door to other diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure. The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad) claims that UAE school children are now 1.8 times more obese than children in the US. The reason obesity has become so widespread in our young ones is due entirely to a poor diet adopted at a young age.Source: The National, May 7, 2013

2. More than 66 percent of men and 60 percent of women in the UAE are overweight or obese

Of course all age groups are affected by the obesity issue. According to the Global Burden Of Disease, a study that was conducted in 2013, more than 66% of men and 60% of women in the UAE are obese or overweight. Which means more instances of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Obesity in the UAE is the number one cause of “lower disability-adjusted years,” which is a measure of years lost due to poor health, disability, or early death.Source: The National, May 29, 2014

3. Heart disease striking 20 years earlier in the UAE

In 2013, 850 heart-attack patients were admitted to Rashid Hospital in Dubai. A troubling statistic in itself, the even more sobering news was the average age of the first-time heart attack patients. Whereas the global average is 65 years, the average age of the Rashid Hospital patients was 45 years. Additionally, of those 850 patients, “40 percent were diabetic, 40 percent were hypertensive and 25 percent had high levels of cholesterol.”Source: The National, January 13, 2014

4. UAE children have cholesterol levels found in 60-year-old men

Some children in the UAE are being treated for cholesterol levels found in 60-year-old men. Elevated cholesterol levels mean lower levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) and higher levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol). Over time this can result in blocked arteries, and as we are now seeing, children are by no means immune to this. Obese children are at risk for elevated cholesterol levels, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. While it is not easy given the misinformation floating around out there, parents need to educate themselves about what constitutes healthy eating.Source: The National, December 17, 2014

5. One in five in the UAE diabetic

In 2013 the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the UAE ranked 16th worldwide in diabetes prevalence. More than 20% of us living here suffer from diabetes. Diabetes is a very serious illness, claiming a life every seven seconds on a global scale. Is there better news on the horizon? Quite the opposite: For the Middle East and North Africa region, diabetes and pre-diabetes rates are expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades. The only solution to reversing the trend is proper eating. Get rid of the Western diet. Easier said than done. Source: Emirate24/7, November 15, 2014

6. NCDs responsible for more than 60% of all deaths in GCC countries

NCDs include diabetes, heart disease, cancers, chronic respiratory illnesses, and more. According to WHO director Dr. Ala Alwan, up to 50% of people dying from these diseases in some Gulf countries die before the age of 60. Heavy tobacco use, poor diet, and lack of exercise are the usual suspects.Source: World Health Organization (WHO), January 6, 2012

7. Over 40% of UAE national adults have high blood pressure

A study published by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) reveals that almost 41% of Emiratis between the ages of 35 and 70 suffer from hypertension. While in some cases hypertension is mainly due to genetics, in most cases it can be blamed on lifestyle. “Genes load the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger.” If you do not exercise, if you smoke, and if you eat poorly (especially a high-sugar diet), your risk of having high blood pressure is considerably higher.