An international medical conference has said that three million Saudis suffer from obesity and has called for greater efforts to tackle the problem. The gathering, organized by Jeddah's International Medical Center, said obesity made sufferers vulnerable to some 47 ailments, among them a hardening of the arteries, blood clots, heart muscle exhaustion, heart enlargement due to high blood pressure, and cartilage erosion. The conference expressed particular concern at the rising rate of obesity among Saudi women, which was gauged at between 55 and 59 percent, compared to around 40 percent for Saudi males. Dr. Waleed Lutfi Bukhari of the International Medical Center said the recommendations announced by the conference focused on the use of medication to reduce fat absorption from food by a third, as well as promoting regular exercise Dr. Bukhari said that weight gain affecting 29 percent of the Kingdom's children was mostly due to the accumulation of fat because of an imbalance between energy consumed via food and energy exerted. “Junk food is the sole reason for 90 percent of obesity,” Bukhari said.
