Bad Nutritional Habits at Our Hospitals

Al Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 8

Last week, while visiting someone at a local hospital, I walked over to a vending machine situated in the hallway to grab a snack. I stood in front of the machine and looked at the display. The shelves contained only one healthy substance: water! Everything else was unhealthy, consisting of processed sugars and saturated fat – biscuits filled with cream, cakes, croissants, juices and flavored milks. All of these products had poor nutrients, were rich in sugars, dyes, preservatives and artificial colorings. This might not normally be an issue, but it’s certainly an alarming reality when one considers the fact that this vending machine was located within a hospital. When a patient or visitor walks up to the device, he or she will not find foods that restore their energy or contribute to their health; instead, they’ll find poison. They will essentially pay money to get a substance that will raise their blood sugar levels and increase their fat, thereby putting them at great health risk of diabetes, heightened blood pressure, kidney or liver dysfunction, bloating, infection or a heart attack. Selling such products at a place like a hospital is paradoxical, considering the fact that this is a place devoted to improving people’s health. You see this issue not just in the vending machines, but also in the meals provided by the hospital to the patients. In addition to the fact that over 60% of their ingredients are unhealthy, these meals are served in recyclable plastic dishes that contain toxins that may contaminate the food. The government devotes a huge annual budget to the Ministry of Health and provides ongoing support for our health system. Yet, ultimately, these health centers lack the ability to create a culture of health and wellness, especially in the food they serve. If we just look at diabetes, we will find that the prevalence of the disease is about 18%, making Saudi Arabia the seventh-ranking country in the world in terms of morbidity. Despite the huge budgets spent on our health care system, awareness of healthy eating remains very low. If diabetes, which is one of the most deadly diseases in the world, spreads in Saudi Arabia among citizens and residents, and even affects children, then it is our government’s duty to contain this epidemic and stop its spread. We must create healthy environments that encourage nutritious diets. Hospitals selling chocolate bars and croissants to visitors are clearly not serious about this mission. Is it mere ignorance or greed that make us jeopardize people’s lives? – Hassan Mustafa (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)