المملكة: To confront 73% of chronic deaths… government legislation for food engineering in the Kingdom

The Council of Ministers approved the national policy to promote a healthy nutritional pattern, with the aim of supporting quality of life and enhancing public health in society, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims to build a society whose members enjoy a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

The national policy aims to promote Health indicators related to nutrition, as the percentage of high blood pressure in the age group of 15 years and above reached about 14%, while the percentage of high cholesterol reached about 43%.

The percentage of high blood glucose level reached approximately 4%, while the percentage of weight gain in the same age group was about 58%.

These indicators confirm the importance of adopting comprehensive national policies that promote a healthy dietary lifestyle and contribute to reducing the spread of obesity and diseases.

5 basic principles of the policy

The national policy to promote a healthy nutritional pattern is based on five main principles that form the general framework for its implementation.
The first principle is governance by creating a clear national reference and defining the responsibilities of the parties concerned with implementing the policy.
The second principle is to enhance cooperation and partnerships between government agencies, the private sector and community agencies with the aim of creating a supportive and stimulating environment for adopting a healthy dietary pattern.
Development and sustainability come as a principle. The third principle is to ensure the continuity of efforts aimed at preserving the health of society, while the fourth principle focuses on awareness and education by providing a healthy food environment that contributes to improving the quality of life of individuals.
The fifth principle relies on data and scientific evidence as an essential tool in supporting decisions and achieving policy objectives.

Long-term health goals

The policy aims to achieve a set of long-term health results, most notably increasing the average life expectancy of an individual in the Kingdom, and reducing health risks associated with nutrition such as high body mass and following unhealthy diets, It also aims to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases related to nutrition, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The policy identified a number of key indicators, including the average life expectancy of an individual, the rates of overweight and obesity in children between the ages of 5 and 18 years, in addition to the rates of obesity in adults over the age of 18 years. The indicators also include the rates of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

The scope of application of the national policy to promote a healthy nutritional pattern extends to include a spectrum A wide range of locations and sectors, including public places such as markets, commercial complexes, hotels, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, gardens, amusement parks and various means of transportation.

The scope of application includes government agencies of all kinds, in addition to health facilities such as hospitals and health centers, and educational facilities such as universities, schools, children’s hospitality centers and rehabilitation centres.

The application also extends to sports facilities such as clubs and stadiums, as well as land, sea and air ports, including Airports, ports, and train stations, as well as entertainment and tourism events.

Implementation axes

The policy is implemented in four main axes that represent the practical framework for its implementation. The first axis is concerned with building partnerships and preparing legislation, as it aims to enhance cooperation between government agencies and the private sector to adopt multi-sector policies that support achieving the policy objectives. This includes reviewing existing food legislation, addressing gaps in it, and introducing new legislation that promotes a healthy eating pattern.

The second axis focuses on promoting healthy nutritional principles and behaviors among individuals, through implementing wide-ranging awareness programs that enhance the culture of healthy nutrition in society, and support the adoption of balanced diets.

These programs include educational initiatives for the community on how to follow a healthy diet, in addition to awareness programs to reduce the consumption of foods of low nutritional value, and training programs for chefs to encourage the provision of Alternative healthy recipes.

This axis also includes working to create environments that support a balanced diet, by preparing guidelines to determine the size of food portions, providing healthy food environments in entertainment events and facilities designated for children, and encouraging government agencies and the private sector to provide healthy food options in the workplace. It also includes engaging charities and non-profit institutions in spreading a culture of healthy nutrition.

The third axis of the policy focuses on developing the food value chain in the Kingdom, by adopting modern food and agricultural technologies that contribute In improving the nutritional value of foods and enhancing the sustainability of natural resources, it also includes supporting agricultural livelihoods in rural areas and encouraging local farmers to produce and market fruits and vegetables.

This axis also includes encouraging sustainable agricultural, industrial and distribution practices that preserve the environment and enhance public health, in addition to enhancing cooperation between farmers, manufacturers and consumers to ensure the provision of an effective and sustainable food chain.

The measures include educating farmers and workers in the agricultural sector about the importance of the nutritional value of agricultural products and their impact on public health. In addition to encouraging food suppliers and manufacturers to develop products with higher nutritional value, which contributes to improving the quality of food available in the local market.

Supporting research and innovation in the field of nutrition

The fourth axis of the policy is concerned with supporting research and innovation in the field of healthy nutrition, by establishing specialized research centers and providing the necessary infrastructure to support scientific research, including advanced laboratories and modern research facilities.

It includes organizing conferences, seminars, and workshops that contribute to the exchange of knowledge and experiences between researchers and specialists, and enhancing cooperation. Research in the field of nutrition.

The policy encourages the establishment of international partnerships in the fields of food research and development, and organizes competitions and award programs to stimulate innovation in the field of nutrition, in addition to providing technical and advisory support to innovators and researchers.

The policy supports the use of modern technologies such as genomics, biotechnology and big data analysis in developing food industries and improving the nutritional value of foods.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter