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"Get well soon" — these are the words that people who suffer with diabetes, heart disease or cancer hear too often. Not so if you suffer with obesity or overweight, where people closest to you will point the finger of blame, suggesting you should eat less, exercise more, and that you are just lazy. And yet, obesity, which affects over one billion people worldwide, and where in Qatar over 70% of the population are suffering with obesity and overweight, is as much a chronic disease as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. If anything, obesity is the root cause behind over 200 diseases, including physical, mental and mechanical (see references 1, 2, 3). Guidelines worldwide agree that obesity is a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease. Its impact on people will differ depending on the distribution and function of the fat involved. Our appetite is driven by our brain, which controls three aspects of eating — eating because you are hungry; emotional eating because you are feeling sad, or even eating for the pleasure of eating; and finally, the part of your brain that exercises control over emotional eating. Studies have shown that the link between the control part and the emotional part of eating is not working in people with obesity. Biology and brain have a big part to play in explaining the science behind obesity (see reference 4). Obesity has traditionally been assessed through measurement of the body mass index, which relates to height and weight, and where a measurement above or equal to 30 indicates obesity (see reference 5). New staging methods such as the Edmonton Obesity Staging take into consideration the complications of obesity as well. Like many other chronic diseases, obesity requires long-term management to ensure that the weight you lose stays off. Your body fights weight loss; if you thought losing those few kilograms was a challenge, then maintaining the weight loss is an even bigger challenge. Start your journey with your doctor — it's a partnership. Set short-, medium- and long-term goals, and not just for weight loss but more importantly for health gain. You will be part of a team who will give you dietary advice and encourage you to do regular physical activity. Your doctor might recommend using medication or other medical interventions. You may start to notice gradual and positive changes in your life, and the health improvements that you don't even see are as important. So remember, obesity is not simply due to an individual's choice or lack of willpower — it is a chronic disease. Seek treatment from a qualified healthcare professional and remember the focus is on long-term health gains.·The writer is Professor of Health Sciences, Medical Manager, Novo Nordisk, Qatar References:Prevalence of Obesity | World Obesity FederationWorld Obesity Atlas 2025Horn et al. Postgrad Med 2022;134:359–75.Lau D et al. Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guide-lines: The Science of Obesity. Available from https://obesitycanada.ca/guidelines/science.Adult clinical practice guideline | Obesity Canada

 Rats and parasites are spreading through Gaza's tent camps for displaced Palestinians, biting children's fingers and toes as they sleep, gnawing through people's few remaining treasured possessions, and spreading disease.The outbreak is unfolding as most of Gaza's more than 2mn people have been displaced, many now living in bombed-out homes and makeshift tents pitched on open ground, roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings.Just days before her wedding day, Amani Abu Selmi, displaced with her family in Khan Younis in the south, discovered that rats had gnawed through the garments and bags of her wedding trousseau inside the tattered tent where they have been sheltering.She and her mother showed Reuters holes the rodents had eaten through her gown, a traditional burgundy embroidered dress that is customary in Palestinian weddings."All my happiness was gone, it turned to sadness, turned to heartbreak - that my things are gone, my wedding trousseau is gone," said Abu Selmi, 20.A rat bit the hand and toes of Khalil al-Mashharawi's three-year-old son several weeks ago, he said.Last Friday, he himself was bitten.He said he and his wife now sleep in shifts to protect their children and one another from an infestation they are unable to control or defend themselves against, with rodent traps largely ineffective in Gaza's ruined homes and tent encampments."They strike in our sleep," said al-Mashharawi, 26, who lives with his family in the ruins of their house in Tuffah neighbourhood in northern Gaza. "They may disappear for a day or two before they strike again, (forcing) their way under the tiles of the floor of the house."Mohamed Abu Selmia, head of Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, said he expects the problem to worsen as summer approaches and amid an Israeli ban on pest control materials such as rat poison.Israel generally restricts the entry to Gaza of items that it says can have dual military or civilian use.As part of what it said was an effort with "all actors and international partners" to address the sanitation problem, COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza, said that, in recent weeks, it has facilitated the transfer of about 90 tonnes of pest control materials and over 1,000 mousetraps into the enclave."Every day, hospitals record cases of patients being admitted due to rodent-related incidents, particularly among children, the elderly, and the sick," Abu Selmia said.There is also widespread fear about the spread of dangerous diseases, including rat-bite fever, leptospirosis, and even plague, he said.An October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has done little to ease the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza where sewage and sanitation systems have been mostly destroyed by Israel and humanitarian aid is subject to Israeli restrictions.Israel cites security concerns for curbs on Gaza, where it has continued to carry out deadly attacks, saying its action is due to threats from Hamas.It has killed more than 800 Palestinians since October, with four Israeli soldiers killed during the same period.With waste collection largely halted, contaminated water and refuse have accumulated near the tent cities where families sleep, cook, and wash.This has given rodents and parasites a unique environment within which they can spread, aid groups say.Reinhilde Van de Weerdt, the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s local representative, said there were around 17,000 rodent and ectoparasitic infection-related cases in Gaza so far this year."This is just the unfortunate but predictable consequence when people live in a collapsed living environment," she said. 

The UN Children's Fund (Unicef) warned Saturday of the growing risk of disease outbreaks among children in the Gaza Strip, urging for intensifying the entry of humanitarian aid, particularly winter clothing and tents, amid harsh weather conditions.Palestine' news agency (WAFA) Saturday quoted Unicef as saying that the current situation poses an escalating threat to children's safety given severe weather and the delay in the delivery of essential supplies.Unicef urged that humanitarian aid, including large quantities of winter supplies currently stockpiled at the Gaza border, to be allowed into the Strip safely, quickly, and without obstruction.According to Unicef's nutrition assessments conducted with its partners in Gaza in November, 9,300 of the Strip's children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition. 

The world marks World Diabetes Day on November 14 each year, with the aim of raising global awareness to combat the disease and its complications, as well as focusing on ways to prevent it and manage it after diagnosis.This year's World Diabetes Day centers around a global call for various sectors to participate in and support the "Diabetes in the Workplace” initiative.The global rise in diabetes is seen as a developmental and social challenge rather than merely an individual health crisis. International reports reveal alarming figures regarding the disease’s prevalence and the proportion of undiagnosed individuals, along with the increasing economic costs associated with it.According to the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has surpassed 800mn, more than quadrupling since 1990. Most of them are between the ages of 20 and 79. It is estimated that about 43% of people with diabetes are unaware of their condition, putting them at risk of serious complications, even though the disease can often be managed early. Projections also indicate that nearly 81% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries.Statistics show that in 2024, global diabetes-related health expenditure surpassed $1 trillion.According to international data, the geographical distribution of the disease is uneven. Low- and middle-income countries bear a greater burden in terms of the number of people affected and the proportion of untreated cases. The economic cost is also catastrophic, placing a heavy strain on the health systems of these countries. This means that diabetes is not merely a health issue but also a challenge that impacts the economies of many nations.Many specialists indicate that changing lifestyles are among the main causes of diabetes, manifested in factors such as weight gain, lack of physical activity, and changes in dietary habits. The rise in cases alongside these factors suggests that the fight against the disease is not only a medical one but also requires a comprehensive societal culture and broad scientific awareness.Regarding the efforts made annually by the Qatar Diabetes Association to support people with diabetes, Executive Director of Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) Dr Abdullah al-Hamaq told Qatar News Agency (QNA) in an exclusive statement that the Association organizes more than 50 awareness activities each year. These include workshops, seminars, early screening campaigns, and camps for children with diabetes or at risk of developing it.He added that the association provides direct support to over 3,000 patients annually through educational programmes, psychological support, and nutritional guidance, in addition to national campaigns, such as "World Diabetes Day" and "Steps Towards Health," to raise community awareness. The association also collaborates with schools, universities, and various workplaces to promote a culture of prevention and healthy management of the disease, he added.On a global scale, he noted that awareness is increasing, but diabetes complications, such as heart and kidney diseases, remain prevalent due to inadequate follow-up or delayed diagnosis.The Executive Director of Qatar Diabetes Association explained that recent scientific advances in diabetes prevention focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, engaging in regular physical activity, and following a balanced diet. As for management after diagnosis, he said that rapid developments include continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices and new medications, such as SGLT2 and GLP-1 inhibitors, which improve blood sugar control and reduce complications.Dr. al-Hamaq recommends that individuals with Type 1 diabetes adhere to their insulin regimen, undergo continuous monitoring, and receive psychological support. He also advises those with Type 2 diabetes to modify their lifestyle, take oral medications or injections, and follow up regularly.He added that the proper approach to living with the disease, across different cases, lies in maintaining a balance between nutrition, physical activity, and treatment; along with essential psychological and social support, particularly for children and adolescents, in addition to ensuring regular medical checkups to adjust treatment as needed, as well as self-education about the disease and its complications.Regarding the complications that affect the organ functions of the affected person, and thus their activity and productivity, Dr. al-Hamq said that complications for the heart are represented by an increased risk of coronary heart disease, for the kidneys by the development of chronic kidney disease, for the eye by retinopathy which may lead to vision loss, for the nerves by peripheral neuropathy which affects movement and sensation, and for the skin and wounds complications are represented by slow wound healing and an increased risk of infection.The QDA executive director concluded his statements regarding global scientific and medical efforts aimed at finding a cure for diabetes, saying that so far there is no approved definitive cure that achieves a complete cure for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. However, he pointed out that there are promising research in the field of stem cells and pancreatic islet transplantation, and this may contribute to changing the future of treating the disease, noting that this is still in the experimental stage.Among the goals that specialist physicians seek to achieve are raising awareness about the impact of diabetes on society, encouraging early diagnosis, supporting those affected, raising awareness of ways to prevent diabetes or delay its onset through following a healthy diet, with the necessity of exercising physical activity, strengthening the role of the family in health education about the treatment of diabetes and the prevention of its complications, in addition to increasing awareness of the warning signs of its infection, as well as providing medicines, technologies, support, and care to all diabetic patients who need them.

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity globally, despite significant advances in medical and surgical treatment. While modifiable risk factors (smoking, high blood cholesterol, hypertension, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes mellitus) can often be controlled through lifestyle changes and medical treatment, mental health also needs to be a key focus in the prevention and management of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).The heart and brain are in constant exchange; this connection plays a major role in how we experience and respond to stress. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system due to an acute stress reaction has a direct effect on the cardiovascular system, resulting in an increase in heart rate variability, respiratory frequency, blood pressure, and vasoconstriction of the blood vessels. These physiological changes can lead to long-term strain on the heart, contributing to hypertension, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular conditions. As we continue to explore holistic and integrative approaches to care, meditation has emerged as a promising, non-invasive tool for enhancing heart health since centuries. Meditation is a mind-body practice, a state of concentration and reflection that improves spiritual and emotional well-being, with the goals of achieving a state of inner peace, physical relaxation, and psychological balance. Neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies suggest that meditation can have long-standing effects on the brain, which may have beneficial consequences for prevention of cardiovascular risk. Additionally, different forms of meditation (e.g., focused attention, mindfulness, loving-kindness and Transcendental meditation) will have different psychological and neurological effects. Most published studies report some improvements in levels of perceived stress, mood, anxiety, depression and quality of sleep. Therefore, integration of mind-body awareness, lifestyle modification, and contemplative practices like meditation offer a comprehensive approach to cardiac health.The American Heart Association acknowledges that Transcendental Meditation modestly lowers blood pressure and may serve as a helpful adjunct to traditional treatments. There is growing evidence that mindfulness and guided meditation could improve blood pressure regulation and cardiac stress biomarkers, providing a non-pharmacological complement to traditional hypertension and cardiovascular disease treatments. It was reported that not only in hypertensive patients but also in normotensive patients, regular practice of meditation reduces the ambulatory blood pressure levels. Meditation and mindfulness engage the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which relaxes and regulates the autonomic system, lowering stress and improving emotional regulation. Meditation, especially mindfulness-based training, has been linked to higher abstinence rates in smoking cessation programs. This may be due to better management of cravings and improved self-regulation—critical for reducing cardiovascular risk.Small studies suggest that meditation improves symptoms in people with irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and enhances quality of life. One important indicator of heart health is heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects the dynamic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system is responsible for increasing heart rate, raising blood pressure, and releasing glucose into the bloodstream to support physical activity. In contrast, the parasympathetic system slows the heart rate and promotes nutrient storage, generally reducing physiological activity.One study found that heart rate fluctuations decreased during meditation, and the heart rhythm became regular. Conversely, before meditation, heart rate variability and fluctuations were higher. Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM) is a unique form of meditation that engages in deep, slow, full breaths and focuses attention on the heart. This form of breathing stimulates the vagus nerve with greater intensity than a normal spontaneous breath, which then reduces the heart rate.Chronic stress releases glucocorticoids, which promote inflammation and atherosclerosis increasing the risk of CAD. Mindfulness practices have been associated with: Reduced cortisol levels, Decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, Improved insulin resistance and lipid profiles. While percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is employed to relieve symptoms and improve outcomes in CAD patients, psychological factors—particularly patient anxiety have been shown to exacerbate CAD symptoms and potentially diminish the clinical effectiveness of PCI. Randomized controlled trials determined that the addition of psychosocial interventions, including meditation, breathing exercises, and physical relaxation techniques, into standard cardiac rehabilitation regimens improves outcomes among patients with CAD. Studies have shown that mindfulness effectively alleviates anxiety and improve sleep quality pre-PCI, which in turn results in higher PCI success rates, lowered hospitalization times, and reduced postprocedural complications. However, while early data is promising, more research is needed to establish meditation’s role in secondary prevention.In clinical practice, meditation should not replace guideline-directed medical therapy but can be considered a reasonable and empowering adjunct to cardiovascular risk reduction strategies. Encouraging patients to participate in their own wellness—physically, emotionally, and mentally—may improve adherence, outcomes, and overall quality of life.This World Heart Day: “Don’t Miss a Beat”. As we celebrate World Heart Day, let’s remember that every heartbeat counts. Empower yourself and others by embracing holistic approaches to support heart health and live a more balanced healthy life.

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), through its World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Healthy Ageing and Dementia, continues to expand specialist services for the diagnosis, treatment and support of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in Qatar.As a local and regional leader in dementia care, HMC is highlighting its services during World Alzheimer’s Month, marked globally this September under the theme ‘Ask About Dementia, Ask About Alzheimer’s’.Since the opening of Qatar’s first Geriatric Memory Clinic in 2012 at Rumailah Hospital, HMC has significantly expanded its dementia services to include additional clinics at Al Khor Hospital and Primary Health Care Corporation health centres in Al Sadd, Al Wajbah, Lebaib and Rawdat Al Khail.“All our Geriatric Memory Clinics are staffed by a multidisciplinary team comprising of geriatricians, specialist dementia physicians, psychologists, dementia care co-ordinators, specialist memory clinic nurses, occupational therapists, as well as neurologists, neuropsychologists and other allied healthcare professionals. We provide a truly comprehensive service and remain committed to improving dementia care in Qatar,” says Dr Hanadi al-Hamad, HMC’s deputy chief medical officer, Long-Term Care, Rehabilitation and Geriatrics.At the Geriatric Memory Clinics, patients 60 years and above with memory concerns are assessed using the latest diagnostic tools, including family consultations, physical examinations, blood tests, ECGs and brain scans. For those diagnosed with dementia, HMC provides post-diagnostic support to both patients and their families. Patients without dementia are referred to preventive services at the Specialised Geriatric Wellness Clinics, focusing on lifestyle changes to reduce risk.Services at the clinic also include input from the Geriatric Neuroscience Multidisciplinary Team for advice on complex conditions as well as the Memory Outreach home service that is offered to patients who are not able to make it to the clinic.A key service provided by HMC is the National Alzheimer’s and Memory Services Helpline – RAHA. Since its establishment in 2020, RAHA (4026 2222) has offered confidential and direct access to professional advice on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to thousands of people.“The RAHA helpline is staffed by a skilled team with multilingual skills who provide support to callers. It is the only service of its kind in Qatar and through the helpline, we have seen an increasing number of families accessing dementia care support at our Geriatric Memory Clinic,” says Dr al-Hamad.Throughout September, HMC has planned a range of activities to promote active dialogue about dementia and educate the public about the condition. These include an information booth at Grand Mall in Asian Town on September 26, from 1pm to 10pm, where members of HMC’s geriatrics care team, speaking both Arabic and English, will be available to answer public questions about the symptoms and care of Alzheimer’s patients.The programme also features school competitions and a Leaders and Healthcare symposium where hospital leads and healthcare experts in Qatar will come together to learn about the latest developments in dementia treatment and management. This year, HMC will once again collaborate with the Ministry of Interior to host dementia awareness sessions for first responders including police and traffic department personnel.