KARACHI - Pakistanis are the ninth most obese nation in the world while 2.1 billion or nearly 30 percent of world’s population is obese or overweight. Globally 88 percent of women who had high blood glucose during pregnancy were from low and middle income countries.

Around 21 million women or 16.2 percent of live births have some form of hyper glycaemia in pregnancy.

These disclosures were made by speakers in a symposium hosted by Ziauddin University. 

“There is a big distinction between obesity of western citizens and the people in our region. Obesity in West is limited to upper parts of the body like shoulders while in Pakistan we face mostly abdominal obesity; the reason is the difference between diet and the living style,” Dr Farid Zafar, Society of Gynae and Obesity Pakistan (SOGP) President, said while addressing the ‘5th International Symposium on Gynecology and Fetomaternal Medicine’ as a chief guest.

The event was hosted by Ziauddin University, in collaboration with Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Dr Farid Zafar congratulated Professor Rubina Hussain for organising such a useful event and appreciated the other speakers for informative presentations on Gynecology and Obesity in Pakistan.

He said, “We want to collaborate with not only Royal College but other colleges of world repute. Doctors are cream of the nation.”

He further said that genetics could not be changed. “We have to evolve our own guidelines and conduct study on the rate of mortality in Pakistan,” he said, and added, “The mortality rate in Karachi and Lahore is less than that of Larkana and other cities of Sindh; not due to the doctors but life style of the people.”

He pointed out that there was a variation between research personnel and the people operating in hospitals.

Professor Rubina Hussain, in her address, highlighted the Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and said it encompassed a vast array of psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, loss of confidence and mood swings.

She pointed out premenstrual exacerbation of an underlying disorder, such as; diabetes, depression epilepsy, asthma and migraine.

She advised that when treating women with severe PMS, CBT Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (short-term goal oriented psychotherapy treatment) should be considered routinely as a treatment option.

“When treating women with PMS, women should be informed that there are insufficient data to advise on the long-term effects on breast and endometrial tissue,” Rubina said, and added, “When treating a woman with PMS a holistic approach should be used and the woman should be managed on individual basis. Still, you don't have to let these problems control your life.”

She further said that treatments and lifestyle adjustments could help patients reduce or manage the signs and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

Dr Samrina Hashmi, delivering lecture on ‘Diabetes in Pregnancy’, stated that according to an estimate 21 million women or 16.2 percent of live births had some form of hyper glycaemia in pregnancy. “Another 54 million women are affected by impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) with a potential to develop GDM if they become pregnant,” she said, and added, “Over 76 million women in the reproductive age are at risk of their pregnancy being complicated with pre gestational (existing) diabetes or gestational diabetes.”

She further informed that the highest raw and age adjusted prevalence from South East Asia (SEA) and Middle East North Africa (MENA) region was about 46 percent affecting 10.4 million live births. “Globally 88% of women who had high blood glucose during pregnancy were from low and middle income countries,” she added.