Nearly 80 per cent of women in Egypt are overweight and 46.6 per cent obese, said a recent study.

The study by the International Obesity Task Force in Egypt also said that more than 25 per cent of children aged 4 years are overweight.

Another study recently conducted by the National Nutrition Centre of Egypt stated that 48.5 per cent of Egyptian women and 16.7 per cent of Egyptians over 20 are obese, while 35 per cent of the population has a BMI (body mass index) over 30.

In another study, the Diabetes Atlas survey, the incidence of diabetes in Egypt last year was 10.4 per cent.

These issues were the focus of the recently held 13th congress of the Egyptian Society of Endocrinology and Obesity and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists at Hilton Green Plaza Hotel in Alexandria.

The ‘Nutritious and Delicious’ campaign by Tefal, a leading cookware and small appliance manufacturer, targeted journalists and health professionals in Egypt on the dangers of obesity leading to diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

“Obesity is a worldwide chronic disease affecting over 300 million adults,” said Dr Wafaa Ayesh, director of clinical nutrition department - Dubai Health Authority.

“Excess body fat is the largest nutritionally related problem in the world, excess intake of food (carbohydrate, protein and fat) can lead to obesity or at least the maintenance of an overweight body.”

“To a reasonable extent, body weight regulation depends on the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure, high-fat diets are more energy dense than high-carbohydrate diets, and the former favor hyperphagia (increased food intake) With high-fat diets, which are energy dense, more calories are passively ingested than with high-carbohydrate foods,” Dr Ayesh said.

“To prevent obesity a complete change of lifestyle is necessary where one strives to achieve a balanced diet and where moderation and healthy food choices are the keys to good health,” Dr Ayesh stressed.

She also underlined that obesity remains one of the several chronic diseases that have been implicated or linked to dietary and lifestyle factors. Those who are obese are more likely to suffer from life-threatening diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Nathalie Haddad, product manager, Groupe SEB MEA, Indian sub continent, French overseas territories presented Tefal’s new range of products: Nutricook, Actifry and Vitacuisine.

These unique cooking solutions combine nutritional performance and culinary pleasure. All three products are based on advanced and innovative technologies offering high preservation of nutritional quality and maximum flavour of all foods.

“Among the products which we showcased at the event included Nutricook, a pressure cooker with four exclusive cooking programmes that offer optimum cooking for each food group retaining vitamins in food as well as the original colour and texture, making it palatable and healthy,” Haddad said.

She added that Nutricook is the only pressure cooker in the world with four exclusive programmes for meat, vegetables, starchy food, and fish which is being launched in the Middle East simultaneous with the launch in France.

In addition, the popular Tefal product Actifry, was presented at the event along with Vitacuisine, a versatile steamer. Tefal Actifry, has already sold more than a million units worldwide after its launch last year. This revolutionary fryer can cook one kilo of French fries with only one spoonful of oil, using an innovative technology, a statement said.

Haddad concluded that Tefal, the French inventor of non-stick pots and pans and manufacturer of ingenious small household appliances invests in R&D to come up with innovations in household products that people use every day.

Mamdouh Zahran, chairman and CEO of Zahran Group, said: “Actifry has been introduced in Egypt in early 2009 and since then has enjoyed very successful sales. Today Actifry and Vitacuisine are available in hypermarkets, supermarkets, large and specialty stores all over Egypt.” – TradeArabia News Service