Exposure to fast food ads is contributing to poor eating habits in the Gulf, new research has found.
Almost half of Gulf residents report that being exposed to fast food adverts — particularly those on TV — is making it harder for them to make healthy food choices, according to a survey by YouGov Omnibus.
Over two-thirds of respondents living in Kuwait — the Gulf country with the highest levels of obesity — said that advertising was swaying them toward less healthy options.
Respondents were particularly concerned about children bring overly exposed to fast food TV advertising — with nearly a quarter saying their child asks for fast food after watching an advert.
The survey found that 87 percent of people think that TV advertising affects children’s current food choices and will influence their food choices as they grow up.
A total of four in five people think there should be laws regulating the level of fast food advertising during hours where children are most likely to watch television.
The survey found that two-thirds of people said buying fast food is an “impulsive” decision. This was typical behavior reported in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — the top three countries in the Middle East with the highest levels of obesity — where 70 percent said they bought fast food on impulse.
While the research found that four in five people said they knew that eating fast food leads to weight gain, there seems little sign that people in the region are working to reduce their intake, said Kerry McLaren, the regional head of YouGov Omnibus.
“YouGov data shows that although people are aware of the adverse effects of eating fast food and show general concern in lack of controls around its advertising, there is no direct resistance in overall consumption of fast food,” she said.
“In today’s society there is an expectation to be increasingly conscious of what we put in our bodies and yet this is not reflected in the communication we receive.
“Obesity rates are increasing, especially in the Middle East, so it is important for brands to be more responsible in their messaging and the imagery used in advertisements as it can have a significant impact on the food choices consumers make.”
Kuwait has an obesity rate of 37.9 percent according to World Health Organization statistics compiled in 2016, while the rate in Saudi Arabia and Qatar stood at 35.4 percent and 35.1 percent respectively.

From: Arabnews