Dozens hospitalized in Qatar after overeating during Ramadan

Dozens of people suffering from abdominal pain were admitted on Wednesday to hospitals in Qatar after overeating on the first night of Ramadan, the Arabian Business website reported Thursday.

“Most of the cases at the emergency room during Ramadan are gastritis. We see 10 to 15 cases of overeating every day,” a medical staff member at al-Ahli Hospital told the Arabian Business website.

The Doha hospital was in a state of emergency last year when 100 patients were admitted in the first night of Ramadan; most of them suffering from abdominal pain, dehydration or kidney problems, according to the website.

In 2011, the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s emergency department recorded 7,700 of Ramadan-linked cases of illness, the report said.

Qatar has among the greatest prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the world, The New York Times cited health experts as saying.

The small oil-rich Gulf state ranked sixth globally for prevalence of obesity and had the highest rate of obesity among boys in the Middle East and North African region.

By 2015, it is predicted that 73 percent of women and 69 percent of men will be obese in Qatar.