Obesity workshop for women to take place at LG Digital Centre

The workshop, open to all women, will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2004 from 3 - 6.00 pm at the LG Digital Centre, Zabeel Road, Dubai.

Around 130 women from the Khaleej Times Abu Dhabi chapter have already signed up for the workshop that will be addressed by well-known endocrinologist Dr. Humaira Naseer of Emirates Hospital, Dubai. The interactive workshop will include lectures on obesity and overweight issues, including how to prevent and treat the disease.

Obesity is a major cause of health problems in the UAE. Researchers from the UAE University found that schoolgirls as young as five are showing signs of obesity. Some 900 schoolgirls in Al Ain were examined between the ages of five and 14, and one in six was obese. Around 50 percent of people in the Gulf are overweight and obese as a result of lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits.

"Obesity is a chronic disease, demanding long-term management strategies. We need to be aware of the problems of excess weight and obesity that is affecting over half the population. Being too heavy is not the issue; diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are also serious medical conditions that can develop out of a weight problem," said K H Kim, President, LG Electronics, Middle East and Africa Operations.

A survey conducted by Hoffmann-La Roche in the UAE this year also revealed that over 70 per cent of a random sample of 303 people considered themselves overweight.

"We need to introduce immediate public health programmes to increase awareness of the disease - which is both preventable and manageable and tackle the rising levels of obesity among the region's population. LG Electronics is committed to supporting women's health in the UAE. This workshop to tackle obesity is the second in a series of five workshops and highlights a renewed commitment to put people's needs and aspirations at the heart of our growing business," he added.

LG invests heavily in community projects in the Middle East and around the world, and is trying to reach out to national women in the UAE to educate and empower them on health and welfare issues. Cause related marketing has been an area of focus for the company and LG actively supports the welfare of the communities where it is present.

Other topics in the LG community health campaign include good parenting, mother and child relations, and menopause. LG Electronics is committed to rolling out the project elsewhere in the UAE and the GCC next year.