Obesity is quite prevalent in the region and there are two papers in this issue reporting on obesity. A paper from Saudia Arabi and a second paper from Turkey. The paper from Saudi Arabia was a cross sectional survey aiming at estimating the prevalence of overweight and obesity among King Saud university students, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The present study showed that 31% of the study sample were overweight. Improving University student's awareness about overweight and obesity health problems is an essential step towards decreasing the prevalence of overweight and obesity among university students and in the community. The paper from Turkey studied through a random sample the prevalence and ethnic differences of obesity in the Southern Province of Turkey. A total of 900 individuals were enrolled in the study. The authors stressed that the prevalence of obesity in Adana is higher than expected in both urban and rural areas. There was significant relationship between obesity and age groups, lower educational status, female gender, number of pregnancies, marital status. There was no significant relationship between ethnicity and obesity. There is need for a national strategy to tackle contributors to the excess weight gain of the Turkish population.

A Retrospective analysis of Pediatric ocular trauma is presented from Jordan. The authors aims to analyze the causes and the outcome of pediatric ocular trauma at Prince Ali Hospital. They reviewed the medical files of one hundred and twelve children below the age of 14 years, who were presented to the eye clinic or referred from pediatric emergency clinic with ocular injuries. Ninety-eight (87.5%) of the patients were having normal or near normal visual acuity at time of discharge from the clinic, thirteen (11.6%) suffered moderate to severe decrease in there visual acuity, one case only (0.9%), lost his vision in the affected eye.

Dr Thamer reviewed the use of evidence based medicine in the Iraq primary care setting through the use of Anti-Tuberculosis Primary Health Care. In his study he produced three types of surveys. The first survey investigated PHCPs' attitudes towards the concept of EBM. The second type was designed to build up scientific evidence from primary research findings (randomized controlled trials) based on the systematic reviewing methodology to identify the strategies that promoted adherence to Tuberculosis (TB) treatment. The third type was designed to explore the opinions of experts in National TB Control Programmes about the ability of applying achieved strategies in general practice.

Dr. Abu Salem O & Dr Khasawneh M studied the diagnostic accuracy of CT protocol in patients with suspected acute appendicitis. Of 124 patients referred for CT, 96 patients subsequently underwent surgery. Appendicitis had been correctly predicted in 88 of 96 patients surgically proven to have appendicitis. CT in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis had a sensitivity of 95%, and a specificity of 93%.

Beyaztas F.Y, Dokgöz H , Saka E et al evaluated Childhood Deaths in Istanbul, Turkey. The aim of the authors is to determine the features of and changes in the medico-legal childhood deaths that occurred in Istanbul, Turkey; and to contribute to the establishment of a database on childhood deaths. The authors stressed that in order to prevent childhood deaths, preventive and curative health services should be strengthened, providing training programs for parents and should be a concern of the government bodies and civil society.

A case study from Saudi Aramco Primary Care Division reports a case of adult gynecomastia. The author stressed that Gynecomastia is a strictly male condition and is the most common cause of male breast enlargement. Gynecomastia is predominantly benign; however, remote possibilities of underlying malignancy warrants further investigation, especially in the middle aged and elderly population.