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Hello all, While slightly beside my point in yesterday's email that unavailability of food is not the biggest problem in Iraq nor the most pressing reason why sanctions should be lifted, there was a mistake in my posting that I would like to correct. It is not the case, as I wrote, that 'in May 2000 more than half the Iraqi adult population was found to be obese', but rather that "more than half the adult population has some degree of overweight" [FAO, 2000, p 23.]. The definitions used are normally that obesity is a Body Mass Index (weight/height squared) of more than 30, and overweight a BMI of 25-30. With these definitions, the level of obesity among adults in Baghdad is 30%. Baghdad is obviously special in Iraq, but to give some idea of comparison the figure in the USA as a whole is 33% BMI 30+. I have seen a few letters from the FCO using this finding in an attempt to to persuade the reader that all is going well in Iraq. Apart from being highly selective without the complementary mention of the continued high malnutrition among children, it is also a very strange notion of 'better'. The FAO wrote: "The major reported causes of death in adults are heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, all conditioned by obesity. Obesity is found in both poor and rich sectors of society alike and may be due to several causes, including inappropriate diet, lack of physical activity and lifestyle. One factor may be the relatively high carbohydrate content of the rations which reaches all households at the expense of quality proteins and micronutrients. Physical activity of adults has been reduced due to unemployment and the adoption of sedentary lifestyles. This change of lifestyle has probably been cumulative for some years as there was already evidence of a major degree of overweight as observed in Baghdad and Kerbala by the 1997 Mission. Obesity is not a new phenomenon to the region but it is likely that the long-term abnormal situation of Iraqi families contributes to this condition." [p. 23] The full FAO May 2000 report can be found on http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/iraqnutrition.pdf. While a little dated now, perhaps, it has some information of relevance to the discussion between Rahul and Dirk about child malnutrition. Four years after goods started arriving under the 'oil for food' programme, it gives as an explanation for the continuing problem of child malnutrition that "malnutrition, especially child malnutrition, is often caused by factors other than those related to food", notably "disease and unsafe water" [p.34]. The report also implicates overcrowding, poverty, and the lack of education. The conclusion is that "significant improvement in the health and nutrition status of the vulnerable population, and of children and mothers from these households in particular, cannot be achieved without improving these contributing factors" [p.35]. Some of the findings of the report and their implications are summarised in a previous CASI newsletter, on http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/casi/newslet/feb01/un.html. Per Klevnäs --------------------------------------------------------- Research Co-ordinator, Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq www.casi.org.uk tel: +44 (0)1223 329 131 per.klevnas@casi.org.uk mob: +44 (0)7990 501 905 --------------------------------------------------------- -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk CASI's website - www.casi.org.uk - includes an archive of all postings.