Kuwait Times

Published Date: March 06, 2009
By Muna Al-Fuzai, Staff columnist

I know many of my readers may be a bit surprised to read claims that it is not OK to be fat or a smoker. Before you start to jump to conclusions, let me tell you that in the past few days I have seen and read many things in Kuwait that made me come to this final answer. People in Kuwait become as fat as bears and heavy smokers because they are just one of the many frustrated and angry people who cannot believe the things he or she sees going on around them!

Sometimes you read about people but can't believe how sweet or awful their words are. Sometimes you see the younger generation acting in a way that troubles you and makes you wonder how they will run the country in the future. As you look around, your stomach gets these little aches as if to tell you that the worst is yet to come. Many people here have witnessed angry and unhappy scenes in the streets, schools and workplaces. They then rush to find a moment of peace by smoking a cigarette or eating a meal
from a fast food restaurant. Then, at the end of the day, they discover that they are simply fat smokers!

This of course is not a very happy ending, but what else can you do here? Many rush to meet with friends and discover that they have the same problems as well. They then end the evening by having a meal and smoking! But don't worry, most people here are overweight smokers, so this should not scare us or come as a surprise.

Sometimes, you go to a restaurant and the waiter asks if you'd like to sit in a smoking section or not. You think about the best places to sit in the restaurant, such as by a window, and later discover that they are reserved for smokers only. Why are smokers given the best locations to sit and eat at?

I went to a restaurant in Salmiya last week with my teenage son. When we were about to be seated, I was told that the facility was for boys and men only. I then said that this particular restaurant was where I wanted to eat, but she just gave me an indifferent look. I couldn't believe that I wasn't being treated like a human but like a germ simply because of my gender! Worst still is that some locations reserve their best spots for smokers. If you decide to sit there, the smoke around you will probably cau
se you to become aggravated and as a result, you'll probably eat more and gain a few pounds!

Some try to be clean drivers and avoid smoking while driving. Others throw their cigarettes from their cars and cause hell for others. You look at a police officer and see that he is smoking. I really wonder if it is permissible for an on-duty officer to smoke?

A recent European study confirmed that obesity and smoking were main factors that contributed toward early death. I know we've read about these things a million times, and it is likely that we know people who have died from smoking or causes related to obesity. Sometimes we wonder why they had to overeat or smoke anyway? Now is the right time for all of us to think over these two issues...

muna@kuwaittimes.net