According to Secretary General of the Diabetic Association of Pakistan (DAP), Pakistan is facing a growing obesity crisis that is affecting its citizens’ health and well-being.
On the occasion of ‘World Obesity Day’ on Friday, health experts and advocates in Pakistan have raised alarms about the country’s growing obesity crisis and urged the government to take immediate policy measures to alleviate the situation.
This was stated at a meeting of the Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH). According to Dr. Abdul Basit, Secretary General of the Diabetic Association of Pakistan (DAP), Pakistan is facing a growing obesity crisis that is affecting its citizens’ health and well-being.
He stated that the consumption of sugary drinks is a significant contributor to Pakistan’s obesity epidemic. Sugary drink consumption has been linked to weight gain and obesity, particularly in children, according to studies.
Dr. Basit brought up the rising concern among international health organisations and mentioned that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) governments, including Pakistan, were urged in a letter written a few months ago by Andrew Boulton (President) and Akhtar Hussain (President-Elect) of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) to take immediate policy measures to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and lessen the crippling burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes on the population.
Sanaullah Ghumman, secretary general of PANAH, lamented the circumstance and claimed that, in spite of these risks, sugary drinks are widely accessible throughout Pakistan and heavily marketed, frequently with an eye towards children. These beverages, according to him, have a high caloric content, little nutritional value, and can cause an energy imbalance that results in weight gain.
Munawar Hussain, an advisor to the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), stressed the significance of fiscal policy measures and demanded that the government raise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages in order to halt the impending obesity crisis.
He claimed that sugary drink taxes are a win-win situation because they are cost-effective policy options that can increase government revenue, improve population health, and lower health care and environmental costs.