Dr Ravinder Mamtani speaking at the seminar.
DOHA: With a large number of people being overweight or obese in the country, a recent public seminar discussed the ways to maintain a healthy weight.
‘How to lose weight and keep it off’ was discussed at the first event of a series of interactive health seminars organised by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar’s (WCMC-Q) Sahtak Awalan campaign.
The first seminar in the new ‘Ask the Expert’ series began with a presentation by Dr Ravinder Mamtani, WCMC-Q’s Professor of Public Health, at the Diplomatic Club recently.
Being overweight or obese is associated with a number of serious health issues, including Type-2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
The number of people who are overweight or obese has been growing steadily in recent decades: 68 percent of adults in the US are overweight and 34 percent are obese.
In Qatar, 70 percent of adults are overweight and 41 percent are obese.
Dr Mamtani said: “Losing weight brings many benefits but the problem is that people who successfully lose weight often put it back on. The aim of the seminar was to explain approaches to weight management that allow the individual to maintain a healthy weight in the long-term.”
The seminar discussed reasons behind the growing trend, the science behind weight gain and loss, the value of physical activity, the environmental factors that contribute to weight gain, and the most effective strategies for losing weight and keeping it off.
Dr Mamtani said: “In my experience, fad diets tend not to be effective because even if the dieter loses some weight they are likely to go back to their old habits and put it back on again.
The best method is to give the individual knowledge and practical skills to make sensible, informed choices about what they eat and how much they exercise.
“Once they have achieved their healthy new weight, the skills they have learned will allow them to maintain that weight, leading to long-term health benefits and improved quality of life. It is also important that people realize that they really do have the power to lose weight and to keep it off if they learn how to do so.
“It is about skill power as much as willpower.”
All seats were taken for the seminar, with people from all nationalities, ages and walks of life keen to hear the best ways to lose weight and stay healthy. was of
The Ask the Expert series is part of WCMC-Q’s Sahtak Awalan: Your Health First initiative, a five-year campaign to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Future Ask the Expert seminars will be held at the Diplomatic Club bi-monthly. Entry is free for all members of the public and no invitation is required.
Dr Mamtani added: “The great thing about the seminars is that everybody has the chance to contribute their ideas and to ask questions. This gives us a wonderful opportunity to address the real issues people face when they try to improve their own or their family’s health.
“I hope the public will come along to join the discussions, learn how they can manage their own health and contribute their own thoughts to the seminar.”
The Peninsula
