The Professor of Endocrinology and Diabetes at the College of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Prof. Abdul Muin Al-Agha, revealed that type 2 diabetes is becoming more prevalent in the world, including Gulf countries, as the reason for this is mainly due to the prevalence of obesity among all groups of society, including children.
He indicated that the spread of obesity is the main cause of diabetes, and it has many reasons, which are the change of lifestyle from village life to urban life, the accompanying move away from healthy foodstuffs and switch to fast food rich in calories.
As this factor has become one of the greatest risks facing all children in the world it has significant harm to the health of individuals and society. Unfortunately it has become widespread in most neighborhoods of every city locally and globally, providing amenities for the individual and society, which led to a stationary habit and sitting in front of televisions, computers and electronic games, and greatly reduced the time sport activities.
The spread of obesity and heredity plays a large role in the genetic predisposition to obesity as well as the occurrence of type 2 diabetes.
He pointed out that obesity has many negative effects and repercussions, including disease of the gallbladder and digestive system, menstrual disorders, snoring , suffocation during sleep, diseases of the arteries and atherosclerosis, increase in the possibility of some types of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint and ligament pain.
He explained that the most important psychological effects resulting from obesity are the psychological depression which manifests for example as hostility, unpleasant behavior, delayed educational attainment, a sense of inferiority, retirement of colleagues, a tendency to loneliness, frustration, and shyness.
Professor Al-Agha called on children who complain of overweight to follow a healthy program, through the specialist doctor and exercise, stressing that silence about suffering exacerbates the problem, especially since the body quickly gains excess weight, and getting rid of it takes a long time until the child regains his agility.
