Lifestyle Interventions for Prevention and Management of Diet-Linked Non-Communicable Diseases among Adults in Arab Countries

Abstract

The increased incidences of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases among adults are becoming the chief public health concern in most Arab countries. Economic expansion has contributed to a nutrition shift from a traditional seasonal diet to Westernized eating habits coupled with a sedentary lifestyle. Despite the rising concern for NCD mortality, public health policies are inadequately addressed. This narrative review aims to discuss the effectiveness of nutritional interventions focusing on diet and physical activity in the management of NCDs among Arab adults. A comprehensive literature search was performed using different database platforms such as Cochrane reviews, Scopus, and PubMed for articles published between 1 December 2012 and 31 December 2021. Fifteen recent research articles addressing NCDs, mainly diabetes and obesity, from different Arab countries were included in this review. Structured lifestyle interventions involving behavioral therapy approaches and personalized goals for diet and physical activity were found to improve specific health outcomes in most studies. Significant improvements in health outcomes were reported for longer-duration interventions with follow-ups. A combination of both online and face-to-face sessions was found to be effective. It is important to identify barriers to physical activity for a culturally acceptable lifestyle intervention and conduct further studies to evaluate interventions for the long-term maintenance of health outcomes.

Dietary Patterns and Fertility

“…Many studies reported that among the Ara-bic population, especially in Arabic women, there are sociocultural barriers to a healthy lifestyle [109,110]. To be effective, these programs should be modified according to cultural and religious practices [111].…”

Herbal-based Nutraceuticals in Management of Lifestyle Diseases: Experience from Indian Population

“…These diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders, pose a major threat. 1 According to the World Health Statistics 2022 by World Health Organization, NCDs kill 41 million people annually, equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally, with 17 million people dying from an NCD before the age of 70 each year. Moreover, 86% of these premature deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries.…”

Association between Diet and Adiposity in Adults: Influence of Sedentary Behavior Patterns

“…Furthermore, high consumptions of white bread and red meat/potatoes were associated with central and global adiposity in adults, respectively [ 17 ]. In addition to the risk of obesity, dietary habits seem to be associated with sedentary behavior in adults [ 23 , 24 ].…”