KUWAIT CITY, June 21: Kuwait has ranked second in obesity, according to a recent study which comes from an extensive country by country report on obesity from the Imperial College London, Harvard University, and the World Health Organization.
Rank    Country
1    United States
2    Kuwait
3    Croatia
4    Qatar
5    Egypt
The study also incorporated body-mass index (BMI) which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, an in-depth research can be found online in the journal of BMC Public Health as reported by NYDailyNews.com

According to a local Arabic daily, there seems to be a significant increase in the catering sector in Kuwait even with the surrounding situation of financial crisis. In addition to the already existing restaurants which have expanded and branched out their business, new restaurants have entered the market which even includes global brands. There are 4,783 restaurants operating in Kuwait, one for every 230 people, unlike the US where there’s a restaurant for every 600 people.

Factors
According to experts, the rise in the number of restaurants and limited means of entertainment, have made people become accustomed to a lifestyle of frequently visiting of markets, restaurants and cafes. This mundane activity is possible since the purchasing power lies in the h ands of both high end citizens and residents alike and is seen as an activity which is popular with many people.

Experts also say that more than a billion dinars are spent in restaurants annually. The common trend of regularly visiting restaurants is more popular among young Kuwaiti adults and children who make up to 8 to 10 percent of those visiting restaurants on a daily basis.

Further the day confirmed that in Kuwait the restaurant sector is divided into three categories: firstly Fast Food restaurants which are the most popular and tempting category to both Kuwaitis and residents contributing to 80 percent of the people; secondly informal dining or casual dining which attracts up to 65 percent; and lastly high-end restaurants or fine dining which make up to 40 percent.

It is plain that prices in restaurants have risen notably in Kuwait. Of late the amount spend on one person’s meal at a family restaurant has increased from KD 8 to KD 15.

The Ministry of Trade has been taking corrective measures. It has formed specialized teams that oversee the restaurants that have been working on raising their prices. The ministry has taken steps to prevent the imposition of service charges.