Obesity getting more prevalent in Iran

TEHRAN –Obesity is getting more and more prevalent in Iran, so the health ministry is planning to compile a map of obesity for the next ten years.

Obesity is one of the main health concerns of the country, ISNA quoted Ahmad Esmaeilzadeh, an official with the health ministry, as saying. 

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. 

“Non-communicable diseases are among the leading causes of death in the country, killing 410,000 to 420,000 Iranians every year, of which 65,000 deaths are caused by obesity. It accounts for 10 to 12 percent of annual deaths in Iran,” the official noted.

Esmaeilzadeh went on to say that despite the measures to curb the increase in obesity in the country, the number of obese individuals is on the rise and the rate of overweight and obesity is reported to be about 50 percent. 

Eating healthy, being physically active, and managing stress are among the measures that can be taken to control obesity in the country, he highlighted.

In 2019, an estimated 5 million non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths were caused by higher-than-optimal BMI, globally.

A new study released by the Lancet shows that, in 2022, more than 1 billion people in the world were living with obesity. 

Worldwide, obesity among adults has more than doubled since 1990, and has quadrupled among children and adolescents (5 to 19 years of age). The data also show that 43 percent of adults were overweight in 2022.

Malnutrition, in all its forms, includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight, and obesity. Undernutrition is responsible for half of the deaths of children under 5 and obesity can cause noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers.

Screening for obesity, shortness in children on agenda

Due to the prevalence of obesity among school-aged children, the ministries of health and education are planning to make screening children for obesity and short stature mandatory.

“Just like the vaccination program for students which is compulsory upon entering school, screening for obesity and shortness will be required,” ISNA quoted Esmaeilzadeh, as saying in January.

Pointing out that childhood obesity is a serious problem, he stated, “the ministry of health in collaboration with the ministry of education is planning to launch a program to identify obese children and refer them to healthcare centers.”

Esmaeilzadeh went on to say that nutrition training and counseling for these children and their parents are being provided regularly by nutrition experts. Based on reached agreements with the ministry of education, messages on healthy nutrition will be sent to these children via educational applications every day.

Also, there is a program to control healthy eating at schools, he added.

Moreover, to educate families, an application is designed that allows parents to check their child’s intake of calories. By checking their consumed food, parents can control their child’s diet.

MT/MG