Islamabad: Despite the availability of some of the finest fruits and vegetables throughout the year at affordable rates in Pakistan, people consume far too little of them—fueling an alarming crisis of obesity and lifestyle diseases, said Danish Ambassador Jakob Linulf at an awareness session in Islamabad.
Experts on the occasion warned that Pakistanis are dying at least a decade earlier due to obesity-linked illnesses.
“Pakistan produces some of the best fruits and vegetables in the world,” Ambassador Jakob Linulf noted while speaking at a high-level dialogue on obesity hosted by Novo Nordisk Pakistan. “But it is unfortunate that their consumption is extremely low. People simply don’t know enough about the connection between unhealthy diets, lack of physical activity, and diseases like diabetes and obesity,” he said.
Having completed three years in Pakistan and preparing to leave next week, the Danish envoy said he had observed a disturbing rise in obesity during his stay.
“Obesity is a global issue, including in Denmark, but in Pakistan, the rate is much higher. And people here don’t realize that being overweight is a disease. It shortens life expectancy by nearly 10 years.”
He urged the government to promote healthier diets through public-private partnerships and create awareness about preventive health. “You have beautiful people and beautiful places. But the health burden is alarming. This requires joint action.”
Echoing the ambassador’s concerns, Rashed Rafique Butt, General Manager of Novo Nordisk Pakistan, said their company is committed to introducing cutting-edge biological drugs for weight loss and diabetes.
“We are the global originator of GLP-1 therapies developed through recombinant technology. These drugs offer hope, but lifestyle change remains key,” he said.
He added that Novo Nordisk is investing in research, innovation, and partnerships to improve lives in Pakistan, which now has more than 38 million people affected by obesity.
Prof. Javed Akram, President of the Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine, said obesity is the “mother of all non-communicable diseases” including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, and infertility. “We are consuming too many high-carb meals and cooking with excessive palm oil. Add to this a lack of physical activity, and it’s a disaster,” he warned.
Prof. Akram also highlighted that even in rural areas, people are now living sedentary lifestyles and eating energy-dense diets. “We are designed to survive on one meal a day. Our people are eating five,” he remarked.
Supporting this view, Prof. A.H. Aamir, President of the Pakistan Society of Obesity, warned that the obesity epidemic is going unnoticed. “Obesity is already rampant in our youth. With it comes diabetes, and the average Pakistani is now dying 10 years earlier than in developed countries,” he said.
Prof. Aamir also raised concern over the unregulated use of weight-loss drugs like semaglutide and GLP-1 receptor agonists. “These medicines can save lives but should only be used under medical supervision. Quacks are distributing them irresponsibly, and that’s dangerous.”
The event titled “Unordinary Partnerships to Shape a Healthier Tomorrow” brought together policymakers, health professionals, and international stakeholders to accelerate collective action against the obesity epidemic. Participants stressed that without urgent steps to change dietary habits and regulate treatment protocols, Pakistan will continue to pay a heavy price in lives lost and healthcare burden.
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