Obesity in Saudi Arabia

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Obesity in Saudi Arabia is a growing health concern, with health officials stating that it is one of the country's leading causes of preventable deaths. [1] According to Forbes , Saudi Arabia ranks 29 on a 2007 list of the fattest countries with a percentage of 68.3% of its citizens being overweight (BMI≥25). [2] Compounding the problem, according to a presentation at the 3rd International Obesity Conference in February 2014, is that obesity-related surgeries are not covered under Saudi healthcare. [3]

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Yasmin Ahmed Almubarak Altwaijri is a Senior Scientist and the Head of Epidemiology Research at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As the Head of Epidemiology Research, she studies the causes and effects of diseases and illnesses within a specific country, in her case Saudi Arabia. She studies the prevalence of conditions such as obesity and mental illness in Saudi society, and is active in advocating for social and political changes to promote better health.

References

  1. Althumiri, Nora A.; Basyouni, Mada H.; Almousa, Norah; Aljuwaysim, Mohammed F.; Almubark, Rasha A.; Bindhim, Nasser F.; Alkhamaali, Zaied; Alqahtani, Saleh A. (2021). "Obesity in Saudi Arabia in 2020: Prevalence, Distribution, and Its Current Association with Various Health Conditions". Healthcare. 9 (3): 311. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9030311 . PMC   7999834 . PMID   33799725. S2CID   232385007.
  2. Lauren Streib (February 8, 2007). "World's Fattest Countries". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
  3. Khan, Fouzia (17 February 2014). "70% of Saudis are obese, says study". Arab News. Retrieved 27 October 2014.