by gulfnews – Joseph A. Kechichian, Senior Writer

Beirut: Lebanon is the healthiest Arab country, according to the Bloomberg 2017 Healthiest Country Index. While
Italy came in first among the 163 ranked countries, Lebanese came in at
32, perhaps because of its similar Mediterrean cuisine offerings. The renowned Lebanese cuisine includes an abundance of grains and the traditional anise-based drink known as Arak. Moreover,
and with limited consumption of animal fats, Lebanese cuisine uses
copious amounts of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, all important
components of a healthy diet. Aside from its cuisine, Lebanon
provides excellent health care—boasting an impressive 9 medical schools
for a country of only 8 million. Around
350 physician graduates enter the Lebanese labour market each year,
with 4,581 doctors registered with the Lebanese Order of Physicians
(LOP) between 2000 and 2014 in Beirut alone.

According Antoine
Boustany, the head of the Order, Lebanon fielded one physician for every
350 citizens, way ahead of the World Health Organisation’s recommended
‘one doctor for every 1,200 inhabitants’. Bloomberg graded all 163
countries based on variables such as life expectancy, causes of death
and health risks ranging from high blood pressure and tobacco use to
malnutrition and the availability of clean water as well. Following Italy was: Iceland, Switzerland, Singapore, Australia, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Israel and Luxembourg. Qatar was the second healthiest among Arab countries (36) followed by Bahrain (40), the UAE (43) and Oman (48). Most of the developed world carried the heavy risk of obesity, with the US placing at number 34.