Novo Nordisk Egypt holds a press conference on the recent updates of obesity across Egypt in 2021

On World Obesity Day

Novo Nordisk Egypt has raised awareness of more than 10,000 people living with obesity in 2021 and has announced plans to increase the awareness initiatives to reach out to 20,000 in 2022.

On World Obesity Day, Novo Nordisk Egypt held a press conference under the title “Obesity: the real pandemic” in the presence of prominent professors and obesity specialists to unveil the recent updates on obesity across Egypt in 2021, involving women and children. The conference also reviewed recent studies on the disease impacts on Egyptian society’s health, economy, and social well-being. It also featured a discussion about the prevalence and causes of overweight among Egyptian adolescents and the effects of obesity on women's health, in addition to how to promote awareness to eliminate obesity and related comorbidities.

During the conference, Dr Ayman Hassan, Vice president and General Manager- Novo Nordisk Egypt displayed the efforts exerted to deal with obesity by raising awareness of 10,000 people living with obesity by 2021. Moreover, he outlined the current month strategy, which aims to raise awareness of 5,000 additional person with obesity as well as increase the initiatives for raising awareness to reach 20,000 people living with obesity by the end of 2022.

 

 

 

Novo Nordisk Egypt is keen to develop innovative treatment options that help people with chronic diseases, using its expertise and innovation to help understand and manage obesity. Moreover, the company has an outstanding record as a world leader in the treatment of diabetes and other chronic diseases, including obesity, which is considered a chronic disease that requires long-term management. Since obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease influenced by many physiological, psychological, environmental, genetic, and socioeconomic factors, the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association agreed on a definition of obesity as the accumulation of excess fat that may impair health.

Professor Rasha Tarif, Head of Pediatric Endocrinology and Obesity Unit, Ain Shams University, stated, "Earlier research in Egypt suggested that obesity is a major public health issue among school children. According to several studies, more than a third of children and adolescents surveyed were overweight or obese, with roughly two million adolescents expected to be morbidly obese within the next three years, and this leads to different comorbidities like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and fatty liver diseases

She also added, "It is noteworthy to mention that the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents reached 185 millions and expected to reach 254 millions by year 2030, as per the statistics from World Obesity Federation in 2021, putting into consideration that the percentages are higher in those with family history of obesity

According to Dr. Inass Shaltout, Professor of Internal Medicine and Diabetes, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, being overweight or obese raises the relative risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease in females. Females living with obesity are more prone to suffering from lower back discomfort and osteoporosis, and it has a detrimental impact on all contraceptive techniques and fertility. Females living with obesity are also more likely to acquire several malignancies, including endometrial, cervical, breast, and ovarian cancer. She added that the most recent statistics indicate a relationship between obesity and depression in females and that 26% of non-pregnant women between the ages of 20 and 39 are overweight, and 29 percent are obese, which predisposes to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). 100 Million health campaign revealed that 49.5% of the Egyptian females are suffering from obesity that may lead to the obesity related comorbidities

As per Prof. Ibrahim El Ebrashy, Professor of Internal Medicine, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Cairo University, obesity causes a variety of comorbid conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. As per the latest studies done in Egypt, the cost of treating the obesity related comorbidities is 62 billion EGP in 2020, and the mortality rates reached 19% that is considered a real risk to the people’s lives and according to the global surveys obesity accounts for 41 million deaths annually.

Prof. Amr Abdel-Moneim, Professor of Anesthesia, surgical intensive care and therapeutic nutrition at faculty of medicine, Cairo University, stated that one of the obesity causes is the unhealthy lifestyle regarding eating time and insufficient sleeping and eating high carbohydrates, high fats diets with low fiber content in addition to the sedentary lifestyle to keep the energy expenditure levels in the body. He noted that Egypt has set nine national goals for non-communicable diseases based on their circumstances for 2021, to reduce exposure to risk factors, improve early detection and effective treatment of non-communicable diseases through a primary health care approach, and focus on patient-centered care. It aims to encourage people to "eat less and move more," urging healthcare providers to focus on a patient's comprehensive health management rather than simply their weight in order to address the fundamental causes of obesity.