Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — More women are obese than men in Saudi Arabia, according to a recent survey. Around 24.5 percent of Saudi women were suffering from obesity and overweight disorders during the first quarter of 2022. As far as men are concerned, the obesity rate among them was 19.0 percent. The total rate of obesity among men and women accounted for 22.6 percent during the period.

This was revealed in a survey carried out by the Sharik Association for Health Research among 7000 men and women from various regions of the Kingdom. The participation of men and women in the survey was equal with the average age of 36, according to Al-Watan newspaper.

The survey showed that the number of men who are suffering from chronic diseases is higher than that of women. There are five types of major chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The Riyadh region was topped in the Kingdom in the cases of obesity and chronic diseases during the year 2021. Riyadh registered obesity rate of 26.8 percent last year, and it was followed by the Eastern Province with 25.8 percent, Makkah region (24 percent), Hail (23.5 percent), Al-Jouf (23.3 percent), Northern Border Region (20.6 percent), Madinah (20.2 percent), Jazan 19.8 percent, Tabuk 19.7 percent while Al-Baha is the least obese region with 14.2 percent.

As far as chronic diseases are concerned, men topped women in the rate of diabetes with 13.5 percent while the rate among women was 10.6 percent in the first quarter of 2022. The rate of men with high blood diseases was 13.7 percent while its percentage was 12.7 among women. The percentage of men with heart diseases was 5.5 percent while the rate among women during the period was 3.9 percent.

The cases of stroke among men stood at 1.5 percent while the cases among women reached 1.3 percent during the first quarter of the current year. The rate of cancer among men was 1.3 percent while among female it was 1.8 percent. Riyadh topped in the percentage of chronic diseases last year with 34.4 percent and it was followed by Al-Baha with 34.1 percent, Hail (33.9 percent), Madinah (32.5 percent), and Asir (30.8 percent).

The survey showed the percentage of the total obesity in the first quarter of this year registered an increase of two percent (22.6 percent), compared to the same period last year when it stood at 20.6 percent. There is no change in the rate of total diabetes that accounted for 12 percent in the first quarter of this year and the same period last year while there is a decrease in high blood pressure cases from 13.9 percent in first quarter of last year while compared to 13.2 percent in the same period this year.

The heart disease cases decreased to 4.7 percent from 4.8 percent last year, whereas stroke cases recorded the same figure during the first quarters in 2021 and 2022. The cancer diseases increased by 1.6 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to 1.5 percent last year, the survey showed.