Doha, Qatar: The Shura Council held its regular weekly session yesterday at the Tamim bin Hamad Hall at the Council’s headquarters, under the chairmanship of Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim.
At the outset of the session, Secretary-General of the Council H E Nayef bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud read out the agenda, after which the Council approved the minutes of its previous session. During the session, the Council reviewed a request submitted by several members to hold a general debate on the prevalence of childhood obesity in the State of Qatar.
In this context, the Speaker of the Council commended Qatar’s strong commitment to safeguarding public health, particularly the health of children and youth, in line with the directives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. He stressed that human health constitutes a firmly established national priority within the State’s public policies.
The Speaker referred to Articles (22) and (23) of the Constitution, which affirm the State’s responsibility to care for and protect children from neglect and exploitation, ensure their sound physical, mental, and spiritual development, and provide public health care along with means of disease prevention and treatment.
He noted that these provisions form a comprehensive constitutional framework for protecting individuals and promoting societal health, in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030.
He further emphasised that the rising rates of obesity in society, particularly among children and youth, represent a serious health and social challenge that requires coordinated efforts and integrated roles among relevant stakeholders. He underscored the importance of addressing this issue through an institutional framework aimed at producing practical and sustainable solutions. In their interventions, the members expressed appreciation for the State’s efforts to promote public health and develop preventive policies. They commended initiatives and programmes aimed at reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases, particularly obesity.
Members noted that the spread of obesity is linked to several interrelated factors, most notably modern lifestyles, insufficient physical activity, increased consumption of fast food and sugary beverages, changes in family dietary patterns, and a lack of nutritional awareness among some parents.
They highlighted the importance of regulating food-related activities in schools and educational institutions, ensuring that school canteens comply with approved health standards, strengthening awareness programmes within educational settings, and integrating concepts of healthy nutrition and physical activity into both curricula and extracurricular activities.
Members also stressed the need to require restaurants and food companies to clearly disclose calorie counts, meal ingredients, and food sources, thereby enhancing consumer awareness and enabling families to make informed and healthy dietary choices for their children.
