WITH obesity and diabetes experiencing frighteningly sharp rises in Saudi Arabia, it might behoove lawmakers here to take a look at the US state of Massachusetts and its campaign to reduce the ill effects of fast food. It is about to pass a law that will mandate fast food restaurants to post the caloric content of their food on in-store menus and on menu signs for drive-through customers. More than half of the adults residing in Massachusetts are overweight or obese, double the number of 20 years ago. That roughly parallels the situation in Saudi Arabia and conventional wisdom is that the proliferation of fast food outlets is a primary factor in that rise. Fast food and other highly processed foodstuffs are ironically one of the downsides of modernization. Advanced technologies combined with stronger individual purchasing power enables the market for imported foods to mature. Instead of depending on locally raised meats and cultivated plants for sustenance, food from just about anywhere in the world can be made available. In order to keep it fresh, however, this food is often highly processed, which all too often translates into increased fat and reduced nutritional value. Fast food is one of the main culprits in this process. No one can deny the convenience of a MacDonald's, a Hardee's or a Kudu nor are most of us ready to deny that under the right circumstances such food is delicious. But many of us assume that because these institutions are selling food, a basic human necessity, it must be healthy. That clearly is the wrong assumption. The suggested caloric intake of an adult male is around 2,000 calories a day. A Big Mac with an order of super-sized french fries contains 1250 calories, or over half of one day's suggested calories. With a couple of more meals and a snack or two, it is easy to see why obesity has reared its ugly head in the Kingdom. Many people are wholly ignorant of the health effects of fast food. This is an issue that falls within the purview of the government. Posting the nutritional value and the calorie content of fast food on menus is one way to reduce our blind reliance on fast food. It is not only likely to make us leaner, it also likely to add years to our lives. __
