In Saudi Arabia, according to the latest studies, only 36.6 percent of males and 26.1 percent of females maintain an ideal body weight. On the other hand, around 60 percent of males and 75 percent of females were above their ideal weight. The prevalence of being overweight or obese has been increasing worldwide. It is more common in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. Amazingly, the study which appeared in The Practitioner, East Mediterranean edition, disclosed that 40 percent of males and 30 percent of females do not think they are overweight. While studying a sample of 14,660 adult subjects, it showed that being overweight is higher in males and obesity is higher among females. There are many reasons for this alarming surge in obesity. Saudi Arabia, along with other Gulf countries, has undergone major economic changes in the last couple of decades. This has resulted in significant changes in lifestyle. Among the main reasons for obesity in the Kingdom, said Dr. Nabil Ramadan, a Professor in Clinical Nutrition at Dr. Bakhsh Medical Group, are intake of excessive amounts of carbohydrates and irregular sleep patterns. “Sleeping too much in the morning contributes to nutritive materials accumulating in the human body. The metabolism mechanism is less active when one sleeps during the day,” Dr. Ramadan explained. The use of cars for even short distances, the routine consumption of meat, rice, dates and highly refined carbohydrate preparations are the most common causes of obesity, Dr. Abdullatif Khoja a cardiology consultant at Bugshan General Hospital, said. “Our food choices are a big factor in causing obesity. We are not careful about our calorific intake. In many European countries, each nutritive product has the number of calories it contains clearly indicated,” Dr. Khoja elaborated. Regular fast food meals can also lead to obesity, Dr. Ibtisam Masuood, head of the nutrition section in King Fahd Hospital, explained. In addition, most of the physical work in and outside the house is being done by foreign workers. Apart from this, exercise and jogging are rare. All these factors, together with the social acceptance of obesity as well as possible genetic susceptibility, contribute to this phenomenon. Diabetes and hypertension associated with obesity and being overweight are present in 20 percent of the male and 10 percent of the adult female population in Saudi Arabia, recent research shows. Some doctors and general practitioners say that, in spite of repeated advice, weight in middle-aged females in particular keeps on increasing. Dr. Latif Ahmed Khan from Najran General Hospital, noted that something concrete needs to be done to moderate this trend, such as inculcating the concept of ideal body weight into the community and encouraging the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation. Establishing weight reduction/physical exercise classes in every province can help in overcoming obesity, Dr. Khan said.
