Monitoring Desk
RIYADH: Long partial to heavy lunchtime plats of rice and meat, Asim al-Shammari has recently turned to lighter fare from a diet restaurant, swayed by the Kingdom’s anti-obesity push.
A study published by the World Bank last year showed that roughly one in 5 Saudi adults is obese, which is an alarming situation.
The Global Obesity Observatory Places Saudi Arabia at number seventeen in its international rankings of obesity prevalence, 3 slots below the US and near neighbours Kuwait and Qatar.
But the Vision 2030 reform agenda of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman includes goals for bringing down both diabetes and obesity by the decade’s end.
The effort is being assisted by a raft of new restaurants offering healthier diets to some traditional Saudi fare, including the spot, whereas financial analyst Shammari tucked into a plate of rice, chicken, and carrots one recent afternoon.
Shammari said, “I used to eat shawarma, burgers, or kabsa while I was at work, ” adding, “this increased obesity, particularly with 8-hour office work and lack of movement.”
Food as source of pleasure
For decades, Saudi citizens spent much of their spare time in shopping malls and restaurants, and food was a main source of entertainment in the Kingdom, where high temperatures limit outdoor activities for a major part of the year.
In 2019, the Ministry of Health started requiring restaurants to include calorie information in menus to encourage a healthy diet.
Saad al-Hader, a twenty-five-year-old doctor, said he used to bring meals from home to avoid eating junk food, but the increasing number of new health-conscious restaurants has made his life easier.
A growing number of restaurants are offering diet plans that send salads and other healthy foods to workplaces and clients’ homes.
