Malnutrition in the OIC Member

Countries: A Trap for Poverty

While there is an alarming increase in the rates of obesity, there has been little research

investigating the most likely causes. Economic improvements in the region have contributed to

a nutrition transition with high intakes of saturated fats, cholesterol, and refined

carbohydrates and a decrease intake of fibre and healthy fats. This has been accompanied by a

decline in physical activity. A systematic review of the causes of malnutrition in the Eastern

Mediterranean region found that sugar is a large element of daily energy supply, responsible

for 9 to 15% of people's energy intakes. Sugar sweetened beverages are of particular concern

and their consumption is linked not just to obesity but also to metabolic syndrome and

increased rates of type two diabetes. Another contributing factor may be the nutrition

transition: in Jordan 40% of obese children's diets came from fat, compared to 28% of non

obese children. High intakes of fruits and vegetables were found to be protective against

obesity in studies carried out in Syria, Iran and Kuwait. While western fast foods are often

blamed for increasing obesity, a study of both local and western fast foods consumed in

Bahrain found that the local fast foods often had higher levels of fat, salt and calories than the

western fast foods (Musaiger 2011).

Another key trend globally, and which can be seen particularly well in the region given the

diversity of countries at various income levels, is that obesity is no longer something which

only affects the wealthy in developing countries. A 2004 review found that as a country's GDP

increases, the obesity burden shifts to groups from lower socioeconomic status, and that this

shift seems to come at a lower level of development for women than men (Monteiro et al.

2004). This suggests that as countries become wealthier, malnutrition remains a problem for

the poor.

Assessment of the EastMediterranean/ Arab region nutrition policies

Nutrition will only be improved through an integrated, multi-sectoral, and holistic policy. The

region still has a high burden of undernutrition, especially in the poorest countries, with

stunting rates as high as 58% in Yemen. One the other hand, obesity and associated non

communicable diseases also present a great challenge, and are actually increasing the fastest in

the middle income countries within the region. While many countries in the region have

benefited from increased incomes and development, and went through the accompanying

dietary transition, ongoing political and economic problems remain acute in the region

As can be seen with the case of food subsidies in Egypt, tacking one challenge, food insecurity,

without thinking about the implications, may also be responsible for increasing rates of

obesity.

Given the scale of the obesity and non-communicable disease problems in the region, the

policy response has been weak. Despite the fact that there is strong evidence for a number of

cost effective policies to reduce the burden on non-communicable diseases, countries in the

region have been slow to take action. This is due to a number of factors including weak public

health systems, and complex social, economic and political contexts such including poverty,

sex inequality and corruption (Rahim et al. 2014).

3 Exposure to food insecurity may cause even higher rates of associated non-communicable diseases in the future, when the

transition nutrition occurs, as people living in food insecure environments during childhood are more likely to develop non

communicable diseases later in life (Rahim et al. 2014).