Specialists: Malnutrition doubles patients' hospital stay

Nutritionists reported that malnutrition doubles the stay of patients upon admission to the hospital, compared to those who receive proper nutrition, and emphasized that healthy food, choosing appropriate and adequate sleep hours, and exercising are the triangle of prevention of the multiplication of the impact of various diseases on human health.

They emphasized during the Sixth Dubai International Nutrition Conference, which concluded its activities yesterday, that the Corona pandemic has caused a general increase in obesity rates among community members, by a rate ranging between 5 to 10 kilograms, especially school students who receive distance education, and sit for long hours in front of electronic devices. Away from school.

Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the College of Health Sciences at Zayed University, Dr. Mirai Karawatian, said that a recent study included patients at Rashid Hospital in Dubai and Al Qasimi Hospital in Sharjah showed that patients who were admitted to the hospital suffering from malnutrition were subjected to treatment twice as long as their counterparts who receive A balanced diet, as well as turning this group into an economic burden on the state, as they need more medicines and longer care, and the study also showed that 55% of patients who are hospitalized are infected or have a risk of developing malnutrition.

She emphasized that immunity in general is the first line of defense and prevention for humans in facing the impact and symptoms of the Corona virus, and other diseases on human health, stressing that proper nutrition is the first enhancer of this immunity to prevent diseases, after which comes the hours of sleep and its timing, and then exercise.

She pointed out that food contains all the vitamins and minerals that the body needs, in order to become more able to resist diseases, especially infectious ones, such as the "Covid-19" virus, and advised to focus on fruits and vegetables that contain huge amounts of components that the body needs.

She indicated that the past months that witnessed the Corona pandemic, and the majority of society groups being forced to stay at home, especially during the period of national sterilization, their obesity rates increased, especially school students, and the rate of increase ranged between 5 and 10 kilograms, due to the state of tension and anxiety that affected On their psychological state, and pushed them to eat in excess of their need, confirming that this condition that they went through increases their risk of exposure to various diseases.

 She stated that distance education contributed to the high rates of obesity among school students, especially those who were physically predisposed to gaining weight, as schools were interfering with students' nutritional balance, by urging them to follow a healthy diet, away from foods that cause them health problems. ,

She said that malnutrition is divided into two parts, the first is for those who are below the normal range in the basic food ingredients, and do not eat enough food, and the second is for those who suffer from obesity and eat more than necessary, and both of them were greatly affected during the Corona pandemic, as their body's ability to burn calories declined. And then losing a large percentage of their muscle structure, which leads to a decline in their immunity, and then they become more susceptible to complications from the disease more.

She emphasized the role of parents in protecting their children from falling into the risk of obesity, calling for the necessity to obligate their children to a daily exercise program, to strengthen their muscular structure, to preserve their immunity, especially since sitting for hours during the distance education period poses a danger if practicing sports is neglected.

She called for the necessity to assess the risks of malnutrition for patients at the time of their admission to the hospital, and to develop a nutritional plan for each patient individually according to his need, and stressed the need for this procedure to be within the laws of hospitals, because studies have shown that treating people who suffer from malnutrition is more difficult than others.

For her part, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Sharjah, Dr. Hadia Radwan stressed the need for all members of society to exercise at home, prepare healthy meals, and develop an integrated strategy at the state level to face the repercussions of the Corona pandemic, the most prominent of which was the high rates of obesity. And then exposure to more complications of the disease.

For her part, the Director of the Clinical Nutrition Department at the Dubai Health Authority, and the conference president, Wafaa Ayesh, confirmed that studies have shown the speed of recovery for those who receive a balanced diet from various diseases, the reduction in their stay to receive treatment in hospitals, as well as their exposure to less risk factors, and the results showed a speedy recovery The injured and the reduced period of stay in hospitals, in addition to the reduced risk of complications associated with the disease.

Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news