PESHAWAR: As the call to Magrib prayer echoes across Peshawar and families gather to break their fast, tables overflow with pakoras, samosa, rice, chaat as well as burgers and shawarma both in homes and hotels.

Doctors and nutritionists across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa warned that the growing trend of consuming junk and substandard food during Iftar was quietly harming public health especially among youth and children.

Faraz Khan, a 28 year resident from Nowshera, found himself in pain after days of consuming fast food bought from a roadside stalls and developed acute swelling and complications related to irritable bowel syndrome and piles.

His father rushed him to a doctor’s clinic by his father, where emergency surgery became unavoidable.

Doctors treating him revealed that overeating particularly expired chicken used in shawarma and rolls, high-fat foods, carbonated beverages and excessive carbohydrates were key contributors to his ailing condition.

Across bazaars and streets in Peshawar and surrounding towns, food vendors are selling chips, snacks, shawarma, burgers, fried rolls and sugary drinks, exposing rozadars to obesity and overweight.

Bustling bazaars such as Qissa Khwani, Namak Mandai, Board Bazaar, Hayatabad, Charsadda Road and GT Road have become even more crowded with fast food during Ramazan evenings.

But health experts cautioned that unsafe cooking oil, expired meat and chickens besides unhygienic handling of foods were negatively impacting people health.

Visitors may admire the vibrant food culture in Peshawar but doctors see rising cases of obesity, stomach disorders, diabetes and piles linked to these poor dietary habits.

Professor Malik Riaz, head of the children’s department at Government Hospital Pabbi, described obesity as one of the most alarming health challenges facing Pakistan.

Referring to global health data, he noted that childhood obesity has risen dramatically in recent decades, causing joint pains, diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

He said Pakistan ranks among countries facing serious obesity concerns, with nearly half the population was either overweight or obese. If such negative trends continued unchecked, obesity cases in school-aged children might increase in KP.

Dr. Riaz emphasised that Ramazan is holy month of self discipline and empathy; therefore, one should maintain a balance in diet rather than overindulgence. Fasting detoxifies the body, he said. But overeating substandard fried and junk food at Iftar cancels these benefits.

Professor Zilakat Malik, former chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar, believed that social media marketing plays a major role in promoting junk food and such negative tendencies requires proper regulations.

Experts suggested stricter legislation and stronger monitoring of food vendors to eradicate obesity and overweight issues especially in children.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority has accelerated operations against unsafe and adulterated food during Ramazan across the province.

Citizens are encouraged to report restaurants or vendors selling expired or substandard food during Ramazan.

Dr Malik Riaz recommended breaking fast with dates and water, eating home-cooked meals, choosing fresh fruits, yogurt, milk and lean proteins, avoiding excessive fried and sugary foods, drinking plenty of water, engaging in light exercise or evening walks and encouraging children to participate in sports.

Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Chief Khateeb KP, said that Ramazan is meant to cultivate discipline, empathy, and self-control.

For Faraz Khan and many others, the lesson came painfully due to use of unhealthy foods in Iftar. As families gather this Ramazan, perhaps the true spirit of fasting lies not in lavish spreads but in balance, awareness and care for the body entrusted to us.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2026