MUSCAT—More than half of Omani adults are overweight or obese, according to the World Health Organization. Statistics show that 53.2 per cent of Omani men and 54.1 per cent of Omani women are overweight.
In an exclusive interview with Muscat Daily , Ruth Mabry, WHO representative in Oman said, following the recent report of WHO, urging global action to tax sugary drinks to curtail consumption, “The Regional Office developed a policy statement and action plan on sugar reduction.” She said, “Adding taxes, removing subsidies and product reformulation, in addition to control of marketing of unhealthy food to children are essential interventions that should go all together to lower sugar intake and reduce the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes and obesity in the region.”
“The policy is based on the WHO guidelines specifying that all individuals—children and adults—should consume less than 10 percent , or preferably 5 percent, of free sugars in their diet. Given the extraordinarily high rates of obesity and diabetes in the region, five per cent is seen as the most appropriate long-term goal,” she quoted the policy statement.
Free sugars are often added to foods and beverages by manufacturers, cooks or consumers, despite sugar being naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. “This will require a major change in food intake patterns and the proposed new low sugar goal will realistically, require radical new policies as intakes are known to be far higher than 5 percent in most, if not all, countries of the region,” she said.
Source: www.muscatdaily.com