KSMC holds workshop to create awareness on risks from obesity

RIYADH — King Saud Medical City (KSMC) has organized a workshop on obesity in the Kingdom. The workshop, titled “Transforming Obesity Care in the Kingdom”, was supported by the minister of health. Experts from several accredited centers gathered in the workshop to exchange experiences in obesity treatment as well as getting acquainted with the recent updates in the field. Leading participants included Dr. Tarif Al-A‘ma, deputy minister of health for therapeutic services, and CEO and bariatric consultant at KSMC Dr. Haitham Alfalah. The workshop comes in the backdrop of the unfortunate status of obesity treatment today, which has become a common issue not only in the Kingdom, but also in the entire world. Obesity has become a global pandemic due to several factors, including lifestyle changes, the lack of awareness about health and nutrition and a lack of physical activity, in addition to several environmental factors. The issue of obesity has received a considerable attention in the medical fields and media in general due to the fact that obesity could result in serious health issues to the lives of individuals. For example, it may lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, joint problems, among others. The Ministry of Health has taken action to fight the problem though preventive and therapeutic initiatives. The bariatric surgery centers project could be considered as a remarkable example for what the ministry has done on ground in terms of providing practical, advanced and secure solutions for patients suffering from obesity. Moreover, the obesity center in King Saud Medical City seeks to correspond to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by mitigating the impact of this global phenomenon. The center aims to create awareness about the risks and dangers of obesity and to provide solutions for preventing it from cauasing further health consequences. Additionally, the center is also seeking to spread this awareness through campaigns and specialized activities throughout the year. The workshop also aimed at exchanging experiences between accredited centers for obesity treatment under the Ministry of Health as well as exploring recent developments in this discipline. In addition, it also targeted to expand the services by increasing the number of specialized centers in obesity treatment, considering the patient’s safety in first place.