DEARBORN — The sixth international Conference on Health Issues in Arab countries was held at the Dearborn Inn by Access last week, where over 300 people and representatives from 17 countries were in attendance. The event not only focused on the health issues of Arabs in the Middle East, but also on health issues with Americans in general.

During the event Dr. Adnan Hammad from ACCESS told the crowd that it was important that health issues in the community be addressed because Arab Americans are not classified as a minority group, so finding information and statistics are more difficult. 

Among the most common health concerns among Arabs around the world are both smoking and diabetes. In the Middle East, around 75% of males are believed to be cigarette smokers. This information does not include other forms of smoking such as tobacco or hookah. The research also points out that women in the Middle East are less likely to smoke. 

Also discussed at the conference was the fact that obesity continues to rise in counties such as the United States due to American lifestyles. Obesity tends to be higher among low income families and bridge card users who may spend a high percentage on junk food or foods with high sodium. Policies such as taxing junk food and implementing a junk food limit on bridge cards were also discussed.