Spike in lifestyle diseases among Kuwaitis -- official

KUWAIT, Jan 20 (KUNA) -- The unprecedented spike in the number of Kuwaitis suffering from obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other common chronic non-communicable diseases is cause for alarm among health providers, said a health ministry official on Tuesday.
In a speech at a Gulf-orientated forum held here today, Assistant Secretary for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Health Dr. Qais Al-Dwairi stressed to Gulf health officials at the forum the need to spread awareness among Gulf region populations to follow a healthy regimen of food and exercise to ward off modern day diseases usually contracted because of unwise lifestyle choices.
Realizing the ubiquity of these modern day lifestyle ailments, he said the ministry of health has formed a national committee for the prevention and combatting of chronic non-communicable diseases, noting that the committee reflects those who work within it and they come from government, non-government, and civil society bodies.
Furthermore, keeping in mind the public's health, he said the ministry of health has initiated that all breads and bakery items produced by the nation's largest bakery, Kuwait Flour Mills Co., should have 20 percent less salt, the latter having adverse effect on blood pressure, among other ailments.
Kuwait, moreover, he pointed out, fostered the declaration of Kuwait -- issued by the GCC ministers of health in January, 2014 as a regional development measure in the face of prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases.
A similar declaration also came out in April, 3013 in a regional WHO meeting in Kuwait, he said. (end) mf.ajs