Women in the UAE are more interested in their appearance than tackling high-risk issues such as diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases, according to latest research by IIR Middle East, organisers of Women’s Healthcare Exhibition.

The online survey found that women are most concerned with weight and staying slim; almost half the respondents (42 per cent) chose issues directly relating to weight-watching and staying slender (staying fit, dieticians and fighting obesity) as their top health concerns.

Treatments for diabetes, a disease that affects one in four UAE nationals, ranked as one of the lowest interests among those surveyed. Over 4.7 per cent indicated that the life threatening condition was of considerable importance to them.

Respondents to the survey were asked to select three issues relating to women’s health and well-being, in order of personal importance. Cosmetic surgery ranked fourth in the list, whereas osteoporosis, the bone weakening disorder which affects 70 per cent of women over the age of 60 in the GCC, was joint bottom with 4.7 per cent.

Also coming in near the bottom of the list was interest in cardiovascular diseases, the cause of death for more than a quarter of UAE residents, with five per cent, but of those who marked heart disease as an important topic, there were four times as many expatriate women aware of the issue than Arabic women.

“The results are very startling,” said group director Life Sciences at IIR Middle East Simon Page.

“It demonstrates that much more work needs to be done to spread awareness of these life threatening issues.  The Women’s Healthcare exhibition will act as a platform to allow healthcare professionals and women to interact and discuss health issues which may directly affect them and find out more information on prevention and treatment.”

Visitors attending Women’s Healthcare, running from April 23 to 26, 2008, will be able to hear healthcare industry leaders discuss pertinent issues at exclusive seminars throughout the four-day event, including options in family planning and the harmful affects of some beauty products.

Women’s Healthcare, the first healthcare event in the UAE dedicated to women, runs alongside The Bride Show Dubai and The Arabian Home Show at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.  The exhibition will feature representatives from every sector of women’s health, from surgery to check ups to specialist hospitals. – TradeArabia News Service