A recent survey conducted by Hoffmann-La Roche, which sought to find out about the public’s general level of awareness of weight-related issues in the UAE, revealed that over 70% of a random sample section considered themselves overweight.
The survey, which asked 303 participants (60% female and 40% male) a number of questions about their perceptions of and attitudes towards overweight, obesity and weight-loss, showed that over 50% of people agree that the most negative impact of being overweight is the detrimental effect it has on health, wellness and energy levels, while 23% of people feel that excess weight adversely affects their attractiveness to the opposite sex.
When asked what would be a key stimulus for embarking on a weight loss program, approximately 50% of survey participants stated that not fitting into their clothes would be the primary reason. Other motivations included comment from a partner (20%) and advice from a doctor (23%).
“The results of this survey clearly show that awareness of the dangers of obesity is quite high in the UAE,” said Rima Khadra, XENICAL® Product Manager, Hoffmann-La Roche, “The next step for these individuals, who have excess weight, is to make a positive, sustained effort to lose weight.”
Almost 70% of survey participants stated that the area they would most like to lose weight on is the stomach/abdomen.
As regards weight loss techniques, exercise remains the most common solution with some 60% of survey participants selecting it as their preferred choice while 50% of the total sample thought dietary changes could also help lose weight. 40% of those surveyed stated they thought weight loss aids were effective to help shed excess weight.
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