Zahid Naeem

Increasing trend of Junk food use in Saudi Arabia and health implications.

In Saudi Arabia there is increasing trend of junk food use. Combined with sedentary life style, high prevalence of obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and coronary heart disease, it is detrimental to health and will aggravate existing life style diseases in the country. People here eat more consuming more quantity with less quality. The fast food market in Saudi Arabia is expected to reach

Occupational health related concerns among surgeons

4.5 billion in gross sales by 2015, driven by growing demand from its population. (1) Fast food is a major enterprise in Saudi Arabia. The major chains like Mc-Donald’s, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Hardees, Little Caesars, Subway, Dunkin Donuts to name a few. Most meal packages with fries and coke run around 15–20 SAR. Beside multinational food chains some national brands are Al-Baik, Shawerma Joha and Kudu are available. (2) Junk food, fast food and trash food are all definitions of a quick, unhealthy, hunger satisfying food, which are easy to make and easy to consume. They are low in nutritional value with a high caloric value. The term ‘Junk food’ was coined by Michael Jacobson, director of Center for Science in 1972. Junk food contains high level of refined sugar, white flour, polyunsaturated fats, salts and numerous food additives but lacking in protein, vitamin and fibers. Junk food is popular because of their simplicity of manufacture, consumption and good taste. (3) Junk foods as burgers, pizza, fried chicken and chips usually has high amount of saturated fats. Fats cause people to put on weight and being overweight is a risk to heart and causes other disease as obesity and diabetes. Junk food often has too much salt which may make hypertension worse. Similarly soft drinks, cordials, biscuits, cakes have huge amount of sugars which makes people fat and has bad effect on the teeth. Various types of junk food is available in market out of which the most popular junk food are soft drink, pizza, hamburgers, potato chips, ice-creams, hot dog, French fries, cheese chili, etc. Junk food addiction is high as it’s easy to prepare and are tasty. Peoples prefer to eat them while watching TV, they save themselves from lot of hassles and time when they are in a hurry as they are served at their door step hot and ready to eat. (4) If time constraint is one reason that pushes peoples to eating junk food, great taste also, to an extent influences them to opt for junk food. But junk foods get their taste owing to lavish usage of oils, salts and sugar. Junk food advertising has a major role in its promotion. There is also concern about the targeting to children and adolescents because they are easy and potential target for junk food. Similarly transportation of junk food is easy due to its packaging and cost is less as compared to healthy food. The nutritional value of junk food is least, the nutritional value is lost in the process of making the junk food so synthetic vitamins and minerals are added to it, but they are not good compared to natural vitamins and minerals. Junk food has lots of chemical additives which are not useful to body like artificial coloring and preservatives.

Growth plate changes associated with Hypothyroidism amongst the pre and postnatal rats.

The surgeons daily workload renders him/her susceptible to a variety of the common work-related illness. They are exposed to a number of occupational hazards in their professional work. These hazards include sharp injuries, blood borne pathogens, latex allergy, laser plumes, hazardous chemicals, anesthetic gases, equipment hazards, static postures, and job related stressors. However, many pay little attention to their health, and neither do they seek the appropriate help when necessary. It is observed that occupational hazards pose a huge risk to the personal well-being of surgeons. As such, the importance of early awareness and education alongside prompt intervention is duly emphasized. Therefore, increased attention to the health, economic, personal, and social implications of these injuries is essential for appropriate management and future prevention. These risks are as great as any other occupational hazards affecting surgeons today. The time has come to recognize and address them.

Prevalence and trends of overweight and obesity amongst Saudi school children, a study done by using three noninvasive methods

OBJECTIVES This study is intended to examine the effect of hypothyroidism and thyroxin replacement on axial and appendicular skeletal growth, growth plate thickness and to observe associated microscopic changes within the growth plates. METHODOLOGY Experimental albino rats were developed with carbimazole and carbimazole plus thyroxin. Animals were administered with these drugs throughout pregnancy (prenatally) and for a period of six weeks, postnatally. At the end of the experiment the animals were sacrificed, measured and processed to demonstrate the bony and cartilaginous parts. Ulna and tibia of both sides were removed and processed for light microscopy and growth plate measurement. RESULTS At the end of the experiment, reduction in the crown rump length was observed in the carbimazole treated animals. It was 8.77%, 13.26% and 7.25% in the prenatal, two weeks and six weeks age group animals respectively. In carbimazole plus thyroxin treated animals, this reduction was 3.22%, 2.94% and 3.42%, when compared to their age matched controls. Reduction in the thickness of the Epiphyseal growth plate (EGP) was 16.89% and 12.80% in the ulna of the two and six weeks age group and 18.06 % and 15.65% in the tibia of the these animals respectively. The carbimazole plus thyroxin treated animals showed an increase in the thickness of EGP as compared to their age-matched controls though the crown rump length of these animals was less than the controls. Prenatally treated hypothyroid rats showed disrupted growth plates without any well-formed microscopic zones. CONCLUSION The results of this study showed that the pre and postnatally, carbimazole induced hypothyroidism and its replacement therapy affected the axial and appendicular skeletal growth. Proximal limb bones of the prenatally induced hypothyroid animals showed the greatest skeletal change in this study.

Vitamin d deficiency- an ignored epidemic.

UNLABELLED Obesity has become a global epidemic. Its level in the Middle Eastern and Asian countries have reached to an alarming level. Rapid transition of life style and urbanization has not only affected adults but also the younger population. OBJECTIVE This study records the trends of prevalence of obesity and over weight in the school children of both genders of Al Qassim region by employing three different non-invasive methods and recorded their differences. SUBJECTS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on Saudi students of secondary and intermediate levels between 12-14 years of age. The total number of the students who participated in the study was 242, 129 males and 113 females. A self-administered pre-coded questionnaire was used. Body mass index, skin fold thickness and bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA) readings were recorded. Data was analyzed on SPSS version 11. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Chi square test with a P value <0.05, was used to compare the prevalence rates. RESULTS Prevalence of obesity and over-weight recorded were higher in the boys but the rates recorded by three methods have shown a wide variation. Several factors, such as change in dietary habits, socioeconomic status and the family history of obesity have shown association but physical inactivity and fathers obesity were found significant contributory factors. There is an urgent need for intervention to prevent and control obesity and its consequences amongst children in Saudi Arabia.