Obesity in the Middle East
Obesity in the Middle East has been a point of concern currently in the world. Middle East leads worldwide with the number of obese people mostly women. This health problem has been in the region for so long but those living in the area did not see it as a threat to health until recently (Ekoe, 2008: 56). Majority of deaths in nations within the Middle East arise from complications possibly caused by obesity and being overweight. Although there have been a lot of efforts to solve the issue of obesity in the middle east, only a few nations have put in place the set strategies (Crawford, 2010: 78).
The causes of obesity in the Middle East are quite many. First, the climatic condition does not allow many outdoor activities in most nations. As a result, people are forced to stay home or in offices which leads to accumulation of more fat (Williams & Fruhbeck, 2009:124). Secondly, the region is growing rapidly economically, which means shifting to western diets and luxury lives due to disposable incomes. The infrastructure as well is made in a way to accommodate indoor activities, which has led to poor exercise among urban dwellers hence obese problem (Dea & Eriksen, 2010:98). Thirdly, the cultural practices of the Arab community do not allow women to exercise or even move around openly (Ezzati & Riboli, 2013: 958). This explains why the number of obese women is so high as compared to that of men. Additionally, being obese in Arab communities is seen as attractive.
| % of obese men | % of obese women | |
| Turkey | 17% | 29% |
| Israel | 14.6% | 16.9% |
| Palestine | 31.1% | 47.8% |
| Kuwait | 29.5% | 33.9% |
| Qatar | 36.6% | 47.3% |
| Saudi Arabia | 28.4% | 48% |
| U.A.E | 19.1% | 35.4% |
Reference List
Crawford, D, 2010. Obesity epidemiology, Oxford U.K, New York: Oxford University Press.
Dea, J & Eriksen, M, 2010. Childhood obesity prevention: international research, controversies, and interventions, Oxford U.K New York: Oxford University Press.
Ekoé, 2008.The epidemiology of diabetes mellitus, Chichester, UK Hoboken, NJ: Wiley- Blackwell.
Williams, G & Frühbeck, G, 2009. Obesity science to practice, Chichester, UK Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Ezzati, M & Riboli, E, 2013. Global Health: Behavioral And Dietary Risk Factors For Non-Communicable Diseases. N Engl J Med, vol. 369. Pp 954-964.