Providing the Best Bariatric and Endoscopy Surgery Specialist

Market Analysis

Obesity is on the rise globally and UAE is not faring well compared to other countries. More than 2.1 billion people—close to 30 percent of the global population—today are overweight or obese, according to the World Health Organization. A consequence of the prevalence of overweight and obese people is the high incidence of the disease associated with the condition – type 2 diabetes. Data from the International Diabetes Federation to mark World Diabetes Day in November last year showed that there were 803,900 diabetics in the UAE, about 19 percent of the population.

More than 2.1 billion people – close to 30 percent of the global population – are overweight or obese.

Obesity is a critical concern in the UAE, with over 2.1 billion people being obese or overweight, contributing to a higher rate of type 2 diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation reports, 803,900 diabetic cases were from the UAE in a year (which is 19 percent of the population).

The Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook states that the country has a rate of obesity prevalence of 31.7 percent. Gulf countries are among the top 40 countries worldwide for higher prevalence in the rate of obesity.

In another report, over 66 and 60 percent of men and women in the UAE are obese. For them, the most common and effective surgery is sleeve gastrectomy, a popular type of bariatric surgery.

At Al Taie Center, we take these reports into consideration before diagnosing our patients. We first recommend them a balanced diet under the professional guidance of our seasoned dietitians. We also suggest them an exercise regimen because we know that surgery can never be the sole solution for patients with a body mass index of more than 35.

According to a report entitled the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

More than 66 percent of men and 60 percent of women in the UAE are already overweight or obese. The most popular surgeries in the UAE are sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, more women than men have elected to have bariatric surgery.

High levels of diabetes and obesity in the Emirates have pushed up the number of people signing up for the operations. More than 25 percent of men and almost 40 percent of women in the UAE are deemed dangerously overweight. Nearly a fifth of residents is diagnosed with diabetes, the second-highest prevalence of the disease worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Patients are first advised to adopt a balanced diet and exercise by the team at Rashid Hospital, which includes surgeons, nutritionists, cardiologists, psychologists, physiotherapists, respiratory physicians, and plastic surgeons. But surgery is the only viable option for obese patients who have a body mass index – a calculation for body fat based on height and weight – of 35 or more.

Analyzing Childhood Obesity

We have analyzed complications associated with childhood obesity:

• Environmental parameters responsible for a higher rate of childhood obesity include a lack of physical activities and technological advancements that lead to a sedentary lifestyle.
• Negative discrimination may contribute to depression and low self-worth.
• Societal and social acceptances are the common signs of discrimination among children with obesity.
• Childhood obesity is an emerging epidemic issue, especially in economically developed countries, with an additional 0.5 to 1% rate of children gaining excessive body fat every year.
• More than 9 million adolescents (children and teens 6 to 19 years old) are affected by excess weight.
• Children who are affected by obesity are 70 percent more likely to continue being affected by it into adulthood.
• Children affected by childhood obesity at a young age are predisposed to obesity and severe obesity in adulthood.
• Environmental factors, such as a lack of physical activity and technological advances have led to a more sedentary lifestyle.
• Today, children affected by obesity are much more likely to develop type 2 diabetes more than ever.
• African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians have been experiencing the highest rates of increase in childhood obesity. On average, 25 percent of children in these ethnic groups are affected by obesity.
• The most occurring sign of discrimination among children affected by obesity is social and societal acceptance. This negative discrimination can lead to poor self-esteem and depression.

Medical Truism

According to the Gulf newspaper in July 2016, Dubai prepares for an influx of 1.3m medical tourists by 2021. With 13% growth expected in 5 years, helped earn over Dh1b in 2015.

Over the next half a decade, the market of bariatric surgery in the UAE is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.9%. That makes medical tourism more popular in Dubai. Medical tourism’s annual revenue is expected to grow by 13 percent each year. This boom made Dubai a top destination for health tourism, with private and government healthcare institutes receiving 630,831 patients in the previous year. Out of the total number of patients, 298,359 of them were foreigners.

The General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs-Dubai or GDRFA aims to facilitate and simplify the medical tourism visa process simpler, thereby elevating the market exponentially.

The annual revenue from medical tourism is estimated to increase by 13 percent every year in the next five years. Witnessing a boom in the medical tourism sector, Dubai’s 26 hospitals, both private and government, received nearly 630,831 health tourists last year, of which 298,359 were foreigners who came from abroad, accounting for nearly 46 percent of the total, DHA officials said.

The GDRFA (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai)Has pledged to facilitate and make medical tourism visa procedures smoother to support and elevate medical tourism in Dubai. The meeting with the partners also helped outline the plan and the steps needed in the next phase.