• Overview
  • Obesity prevalence
  • Trends over time
  • Contextual factors
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National obesity risk *7.5/10This is a composite ‘obesity risk’ score (out of 10, the highest risk) based on obesity prevalence, rate of increase, likelihood of meeting the 2025 target, treatment indicator and childhood stunting levels.Childhood obesity risk *5.5/11This is a ‘risk score’ for each country’s likelihood of having or acquiring a major childhood obesity problem during the 2020s, taking account of current prevalence levels and risk for future obesity (based on stunting among infants, maternal obesity, maternal smoking, and breastfeeding rates).
* Based on estimated data. For more information see Publications

Obesity prevalence

Trends over time

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Population breakdowns

By education

By age

By region

By socio-economic group

Drivers

Insufficient activity

Fruit consumption

Processed meat consumption

Grains consumption

Depression

Anxiety

Roots of obesity »

Like all chronic diseases, the root causes/drivers of obesity are complex. Select here to view 'other' root causes/drivers.

Breastfeeding

Comorbidities

Oesophageal cancer

Breast cancer

Colorectal cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Gallbladder cancer

Kidney cancer

Cancer of the uterus

Raised blood pressure

Raised cholesterol

Raised fasting blood glucose

Diabetes prevalence

Economic impact

Economic impact

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Policies

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Contextual factors

Contextual factors

Obesity prevalence

Adults, 2021

Survey type:Measured
Age:18+
Sample size:27745
Area covered:National
References:Djalalinia S, Yoosefi M, Shahin S, Ghasemi E, Rezaei N, Ahmadi N, Rezaei N, Azmin M, Rezaei S, Nasserinejad M, Mohammadi E, Haghshenas R, Shabestari AN, Jamshidi H, Dastjerdi MV, Larijani B, Farzadfar F. The levels of BMI and patterns of obesity and overweight during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experience from the Iran STEPs 2021 survey. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Dec 1;13:1043894. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1043894. PMID: 36589796; PMCID: PMC9798439.v
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Adults, 2016

Survey type:Measured
Age:18+
Sample size:31050
Area covered:National
References:Djalalinia S, Saeedi Moghaddam S, Sheidaei A, Rezaei N, Naghibi Iravani SS, Modirian M, Zokaei H, Yoosefi M, Gohari K, Kousha A, Abdi Z, Naderimagham S, Soroush AR, Larijani B, Farzadfar F. Patterns of Obesity and Overweight in the Iranian Population: Findings of STEPs 2016. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 Feb 26;11:42. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00042. PMID: 32174887; PMCID: PMC7055062.
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Adults, 2015

Survey type:Measured
Age:15-65
Sample size:2818
Area covered:Subnational (East-Azerbaijan)
References:Tabrizi et al. (2018). Prevalence and Associated Factors of Overweight or Obesity and Abdominal Obesity in Iranian Population: A Population-based Study of Northwestern Iran. Iran J Public Health.47(10):1583-1592.
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Women, 2014

Survey type:Measured
Age:15-50
Sample size:1250
Area covered:Regional
References:Yaghoobi, M. et al. 2015. The Prevalence of Obesity and Overweight in Iranian Women: A Study in Zahedan (Southeast of Iran). Scholars Journal of Applied Medical Sciences. 3(3F). pp. 1411-1415.
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Adults, 2011

Survey type:Measured
Age:15-64
Sample size:12000
Area covered:National
References:Iran 2011 STEPS National Report https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/ncds/ncd-surveillance/data-reporting/iran/steps/iran-2011-steps-report.pdf?sfvrsn=77f321fd_2&download=true (Accessed 14.09.23)
Notes:12000 Sample size is for full survey, approx 8000 took part in physical measurements.
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Adults, 2009

Survey type:Measured
Age:15-64
Sample size:29101
Area covered:National
References:WHO EMRO IRAN STEPS SURVEY 2009 http://www.who.int/chp/steps/iran/en/ (last accessed 18th November 2014)
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Adults, 2005

Survey type:Measured
Age:15-64
Sample size:89404
Area covered:National
References:WHO infobase. Alikhani S. NCD risk factor surveillance system, Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, I. R. Iran.
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Adults, 2001-2003

Survey type:Measured
Age:18+
Sample size:18307
Area covered:National
References:Ebrahimi, S., Leech, R.M., McNaughton, S.A., Abdollahi, M., Houshiarrad, A. and Livingstone, K.M. (2021), Associations between diet quality and obesity in a nationally representative sample of Iranian households:a cross-sectional study. Obes Sci Pract. Accepted Author Manuscript. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.536
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Adults, 1993-1994

Survey type:Measured
Age:20-74
Sample size:3378
Area covered:Southern Iran
References:Pishdad GR. Overweight and obesity in adults aged 20-74 in southern Iran. IJO. 1996;20:963-965
Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m².
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Children, 2015

Survey type:Measured
Age:10-12
Sample size:2506
Area covered:Regional
References:Moradi G, Mostafavi F, Azadi N, Esmaeilnasab N, Ghaderi E.Socioeconomic Inequality in Childhood Obesity.J Res Health Sci. 2017 Aug 15;17(3):E1-6.
Notes:Region: Sanandaj, Western Iran, NB. Combined child data estimated. These estimates were calculated by weighting male and female survey results. Weighting based on World Bank Population % total female 2019 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL.FE.ZS - accessed 21.10.20)'
Definitions:Cut off: WHO 85th & 95th Centile
Cutoffs:WHO
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Girls, 2015

Survey type:Measured
Age:12-18
Sample size:3178
Area covered:National
References:Shayan-Moghadam, R., Heidari-Beni, M., Riahi, R., Motlagh, M.E., Fesharaki, S., Heshmat, R., Daniali, S.S. and Kelishadi, R., 2020. Assessment of Lifestyle and Eating Habits among a Nationally Representative Sample of Iranian Adolescent Girls: the CASPIAN-V Study. Archives of Iranian medicine, 23(8), pp.522-529.
Cutoffs:WHO 2007
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Children, 2015

Survey type:Measured
Age:7-18
Sample size:14274
Area covered:National
References:Motlagh ME, Ziaodini H, Qorbani M, Taheri M, Aminaei T, Goodarzi A, Ataie-Jafari A, Rezaei F, Ahadi Z, Shafiee G, Shahsavari A, Heshmat R, Kelishadi R. Methodology and early findings of the fifth survey of childhood and adolescence surveillance and prevention of adult noncommunicable disease: The caspian-v study. Int J Prev Med 2017;8:4. https://www.ijpvmjournal.net/text.asp?2017/8/1/4/198915
Cutoffs:WHO
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Children, 2012-2013

Survey type:Measured
Age:6-12
Sample size:2195
Area covered:Semnan Province
References:Karimi B, Ghorbani R. Overweight and Obesity in the Iranian Schoolchildren. Middle East J Rehabil Health. 2015 January; 2(1): e24433.
Definitions:CDC 85th/95th Centile NOT IOTF International Cut off
Cutoffs:CDC
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Children, 2003-2004

Survey type:Measured
Age:6-18
Sample size:21111
Area covered:National
References:Kelishadi R, Ardalan G, Gheiratmand R, Majdzadeh R, Hosseini M, Gouya MM, Razaghi EM, Delavari A, Motaghian M, Barekati H, Mahmoud-Arabi MS, Lock K; Caspian Study Group. Thinness, overweight and obesity in a national sample of Iranian children and adolescents: CASPIAN study. Child Care Health Dev. 2008;34(1):44-54.
Cutoffs:IOTF
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