The Ramadan fast is part of the religious practice of
Muslims around the World. During this period,
individuals abstain from food, drinks, and sexual
activity between dawn and sunset for one full month
once a year. In the days of Ramadan, Muslims have
only two meals one before sunrise (light meal), and
the other after sundown (main meal). The beginning of
this month varies from year to year depending on the
particular phase of the moon. Ramadan in this study
started on September 1st 2008. The average length
of daily fasting during the study period was 13.9
hours.