HMC, Qatar University Launch 'Smart Weight' Program

Doha, December 21 (QNA) - Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Qatar University have launched a new program for weight reduction, aiming to reduce the obesity rate in Qatar. The (Smart Weight) program targets people who are willing to lose weight. Those will benefit from the professional assistance and the specialized advises that help them to achieve the desired goal. The six-month program will be funded by Qatari academic health system partners. It is designed and run by a team of health care professionals in HMC's Clinical Nutrition Department, in addition to the faculty of human nutrition program of the University of Qatar and some of its volunteer students. The program focuses on people whose body mass index (BMI) exceed 30. The volunteer students with the help of specialists will handle the registration, medical examinations and BMI measuring of the participants in the program, while the human nutrition program's teaching staff will organize workshops for nutrition specialists participating in this project. Medical Director of Hamad General Hospital Dr. Yousef Al-Maslamani, who is heading the (Smart Weight) team said that the program aims to shed light on the lifestyle changes which lead to reducing health risks associated with obesity, in addition to the main goal of weight loss. For her part, director of Clinical Nutrition in HMC Reem Al-Saadi said that the program will include 500 adult participants residing in Qatar, pointing that a bigger number will be accommodated in another program. (QNA)