A member at Saudi Arabia’s advisory Shura Council has proposed weighing patients to detect obesity-related diseases.
“Taking weight of the citizen and the expatriate has many health benefits,” said Shura member Major general Abdullah Al Sadoun.
“It sounds an early alarm. Some people do not feel they have become overweight until it is too late and after suffering diseases resulting from obesity,” he told Saudi news port Ajel.
He called for recording weights of people visiting outpatient clinics each time. “This is an important step to fight diseases and save billions in public money,” he added.
Al Sadoun did not say if he would table his proposal to the Shura Council for debate.
The Saudi Health Council, a state agency, has recently cited a link between obesity and the coronavirus infection, with obese people being susceptible to COVID-19 by 47 per cent compared to others.
The obese patients are 74 per cent higher than others to be admitted to the intensive care unit, the council said last month, citing a global study.
