MBC GROUP, the Middle East and North Africa’s largest and leading media company, has launched MBC ANIME, a new hub dedicated to the licensing, promotion, and production of anime content in the region.

MBC ANIME will commission, produce, and invest in a series of anime titles in a venture led by renowned anime and manga expert, Stu Levy, who is also the founder and CEO of leading international anime and manga distributor and publisher TOKYOPOP.

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Often aimed at adults, anime refers to the wide range of Japanese animation that reflects multiple genres and features a distinctly recognisable visual aesthetic and storytelling approach.

“Anime and manga are incredibly popular in the Middle East and North Africa, with Saudi Arabia being the leader in terms of viewership in the region. In recent years, there has been a huge increase in events and activities related to this art form,” CEO of MBC Group Sam Barnett said.

“We are thrilled to announce that Stu Levy has joined us to head up MBC ANIME. Stu is a renowned figure in the anime industry, known for his expertise in distribution, licensing, and publishing. We’re very excited about the prospects for this cooperation,” he added.

Over the next several years, MBC GROUP said it will be investing heavily in the venture to expand further.

During the first investment period, MBC ANIME will forge cooperations with key anime studios in Japan, supporting and investing in numerous projects.

“Having worked with the talented team at MBC GROUP over the past couple of years, I’ve been impressed by their licensing approach and dedication to the space. Their commitment to not only anime but building long-term relationships in Japan made me confident of the real potential for exciting growth opportunities working together,” TOKYOPOP CEO Levy said.

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Eating too little during Ramadan will slow down your metabolism and put your body under stress, UAE-based Clinical Dietician Dr. Sara Abdelghany told Al Arabiya English.

When the human body does not get enough food, it goes into “famine-mode” and lowers its metabolism to ensure its physiological functions are running normally, the dietician at HealthBay Clinic Dubai warned.

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During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. Many often use the month-long period to kickstart their weight loss journey or improve their eating habits.

But one mistake people may make is not balancing their meals and meeting their required food intake for the day, according Abdelghany.

A woman eating food out of the fridge. (Stock photo)

Medical research has long proved that not getting enough food forces your metabolism to slow down to survive. Severe diets, especially when combined with intense exercise, teaches your body to cling to what little calories it’s being given, making it harder to lose weight.

“Food is a physiological need for the body. Under stressful conditions, such as fasting, our bodies are programmed to lower their metabolism and physiological functions to help us survive,” she explained.

“During this month, if we drastically decrease our food intake, the body will go into famine-mode and lower its metabolism to survive, leading to muscle and water loss more than fat loss.”

Not eating enough also leads to decreased energy levels, headaches, dehydration, sleep disturbances, changes in bowel movements (such as constipation), and increased hunger, the clinical dietician added.

Preventing under-eating

It is very important that people have at least two balanced meals that contain protein, carbohydrates, fats, vegetables, and fruit to keep the body well-nourished, Abdelghany told Al Arabiya English.

They should also have a snack in between meals to help them meet their required macros, she added.

“At both meals, make sure you have a source of complex carbohydrate – such as potatoes, whole wheat bread, or basmati rice; a source of protein, like meat, fish, chicken, eggs, or cheese; and vegetables and fruits, which are very important to maintain a healthy fiber intake to support gut health and avoid constipation and vitamin deficiencies,” she said.

Making sure you eat enough is especially important for those who have an exercise routine, Abdelghany added.

A man exercises at a gym. (Envato)

“Our calorie intake should always be matched with the level of activity, the intensity, and duration of the exercise performed. Our food intake should be enough, meaning not too little and not exaggerated, to support the exercises and optimize the energy that the body needs, especially during the dry fasts like Ramadan,” she explained.

The general recommendation for exercise is between 150 to 300 minutes per week, the clinical dietician explained.

This means people should get at least a minimum of 30 minutes, five days a week or up to 40 minutes to an hour a day, six days a week.

The time, type, and intensity of exercise depends on each individual’s goals, gender, weight, and physical condition, Abdelghany said.

“During Ramadan, if a person’s diet is balanced, and their macros are complete and well distributed, then they can follow the same exercise routine they did before they began fasting.”

Read more:

Ramadan: Five ways to feel energized throughout the holy month

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Ramadan do’s and don’ts: Your guide to staying healthy, fit throughout the month

Apple Inc. has enlisted K-pop girl band NewJeans to woo users in South Korea — the home ground of arch-rival Samsung Electronics Co. — as the world’s most valuable company bets on a post-Covid global rebound in spending.

The iPhone maker is opening its fifth store in the center of Seoul’s posh Gangnam district, with local media reporting plans to open a sixth this year. Seoul would then have more Apple Stores than in iPhone-loving Tokyo.

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In a rare promotional event on Wednesday, Apple set up a pop-up studio inside the new store, where visitors could listen to an exclusive spatial audio recording of NewJeans’s hit song OMG, which approaches 360-degree sound by adjusting the music to the movement of a device.

Apple is ramping up the offensive in Asia’s key growth markets. Earlier this month, the Cupertino, California-based company launched Apple Pay in South Korea, about a decade after releasing the service in the US. It’s also hiring employees to staff what might become Apple’s first stores in Malaysia, and has plans to set up its own retail outlets in India.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook also visited an Apple store in Beijing with other executives before attending a high-profile business forum in the Chinese capital last Saturday.

Apple now has a retail team of nearly 800 on the ground in South Korea, according to Patrick Schuerpf, director of Apple’s retail business in Asia.

Apple’s use of the K-pop band, backed by Hybe Co.’s label ADOR, is part of a playbook often employed by Samsung — which has a BTS edition smartphone — and Hyundai Motor Co., as well as luxury fashion brands Chanel and Dior. Such artist collaborations often go viral online and fuel demand from loyal fans.

Read more: Apple to begin making in-house screens next year in shift away from Samsung