Al Bustan Centre & Residence health talk for employees focuses on Sugar and Fats

Al Bustan Centre & Residence, the popular hotel-apartment among tourists and businessmen in the heart of Dubai, recently organised a health-talk aimed at creating awareness on how an intake of high-sugar foods can lead to weight gain and a variety of other health problems.

The session, part of the property’s Responsible Awareness Program, was attended by hotel staff and senior management executives. Dr. Shadan Rizvi, Dietician, Nutrition and Lifestyle Management at Zulekha Hospital hosted the discussion.

Dr. Rizvi presented the difference between natural sugar and added sugar. Since sugar or glucose is needed by a human body it can be consumed from naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in fruits, root vegetables, cane sugar, honey and lactose, or milk that benefit your diet. Consumption of high-sugar foods has a lot of negative health impact especially with dental health and is also associated with increased energy intake and, in turn, weight gain and obesity.

At the same time, the lifestyle practitioner also shed light on how unsaturated fats in small amounts are a necessity for a human body and when eaten in large amounts can contribute to weight gain. 

Moussa El Hayek, Chief Operating Officer of Al Bustan Centre and Residence, said: “This health-talk session was very timely and we would like to thank Dr. Rizvi and the team at Zulekha Hospital on enlightening us with the importance of sugar and fats consumption, the quantity of its intake and how to make informed choices when filling our weekly grocery cart. Through sessions like these, our aim is to educate our employees and share this helpful information with their friends and family members.”

Statistics show that one in five people between the ages of 20 and 79 in the UAE are suffering from Type 2 diabetes. To curb the increase in these numbers, the United Arab Emirates recently introduced a ‘50% sin tax’ on energy and sugary drinks, partly as a way to lower the consumption of these products which leads to obesity and diabetes.