{
  "id": 3233886,
  "title": "Convenience without the health cost: What UAE doctors recommend",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/convenience-without-the-health-cost-what-uae-doctors-recommend",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-25T09:44:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/convenience-without-the-health-cost-what-uae-doctors-recommend-1.500651589"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dubai residents enjoy the convenience of food delivery, private transport, and digital services in their daily lives. However, doctors warn that relying too heavily on these conveniences can have health consequences over time. Dr. Unni Rajasekharan Nair, an internal medicine consultant at Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital, explains that when convenience becomes the default way of living, it can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and fatty liver disease. Similarly, Dr. Syed Naveed Azam, a gastroenterologist at RAK Hospital, notes that the increasing reliance on delivered and pre-prepared meals can negatively impact gut health, with young adults and busy professionals experiencing digestive issues. To mitigate these risks, doctors suggest making small changes to daily routines. For instance, incorporating short walks after meals, standing and moving regularly during long periods of work or screen time, taking the stairs instead of elevators, and walking during phone calls can help maintain cardiovascular and metabolic health. Additionally, opting for grilled proteins, fresh salads, and cooked vegetables when using food delivery services, while limiting sugary drinks and desserts, can improve overall nutrition. Keeping high-fiber foods at home, such as pre-washed greens, cucumbers, and chia seeds, can also support digestive health. Regular health checks and maintaining at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week are essential for a healthier lifestyle.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Ordering dinner, driving a short distance, or spending the working day at a desk can make life easier. In the UAE, where food delivery, private transport, and digital services are part of everyday life, convenience has become almost second nature. Doctors say the problem begins when convenience stops being an occasional shortcut and becomes the default way of eating, moving, and living.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}