Saudi Arabia
- Overview
- Obesity prevalence
- Trends over time
- Contextual factors
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National obesity risk *7/10This 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 *7.5/11This 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).
Obesity prevalence
Trends over time
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The report card collates all the most-recent graphics for this country. If you would like to produce a custom report based on selected graphics, just tap the Add to custom PDF button below the graphics you would like to use.Population breakdowns
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Contextual factors
Obesity prevalence
Adults, 2019
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 18+ |
| Sample size: | 7890 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | 2019 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia World Health Survey. https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/Population-Health-Indicators/Documents/World-Health-Survey-Saudi-Arabia.pdf (Accessed 16.11.2021) |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Adults, 2013
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 15+ |
| Sample size: | 10735 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Saudi Health Interview Survey (SHIS) |
| Notes: | NB. Combined adult 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 08.10.20)' |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Adults, 2005
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 25-64 |
| Sample size: | 3571 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Al-Hamdan, NA; Kutbi, A; Choudhry AJ; Nooh R; Shoukri M; Mujib, SA.WHO Stepwise approach to NCD Surveillance Country-Specific Standard Report Saudi Arabia (2005) Ministry of Health Saudia Arabia in colaboration with WHO, EMRO |
| Notes: | Data for 15-24yrs also available |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Adults, 1995-2000
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 30+ |
| Sample size: | 17223 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Mansour Al-Nozha, et al. (2005). Obesity in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Medical Journal, 26:824 - 829. WHO Infobase. |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Adults, 1989-1994
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 18+ |
| Sample size: | 6253 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Osman AK, Al-Nozha MM. Risk factors of coronary artery disease in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Eastern Mediterranean health Journal;6:465-474 |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Children, 2020-2022
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 6-19 |
| Sample size: | 1134317 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Alhamed, A., Al-Zeer, A., Alsaawi, F., Alshaikh, A., Alzaher, A., Alkattan, A., Alrasheed, N., Sagor, K., Alsalem, E., Ibrahim, M. and Alfaleh, A., 2023. The shifting patterns of childhood obesity: Insights from national school screening data. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, p.101862. |
| Definitions: | Growth Charts for Saudi Children and Adolescents. BMI data were plotted on Saudi’s sex-specific percentile charts and categorized into four groups: underweight (less than the 5th percentile), normal weight (5th percentile to less than 85th percentile), overweight (85th to less than 95th percentile), obese (95th percentile or greater), and severe obesity (120% of the 95th percentile or greater) |
| Cutoffs: | Other |
Children, 2018-2019
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 6-14 |
| Sample size: | 444259 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Al Daajani, Manal M., Dina M. Al-Habib, Mona H. Ibrahim, Nora A. Al Shewear, Yahya M. Fagihi, Abrar A. Alzaher, Amjad F. Alfaleh, and Khaled I. Alabdulkareem 2021. "Prevalence of Health Problems Targeted by the National School-Based Screening Program among Primary School Students in Saudi Arabia, 2019" Healthcare 9, no. 10: 1310. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9101310 |
| Definitions: | BMI data were plotted on Saudi’s sex‐specific percentile charts and categorized into four groups: underweight (less than 5th percentile); normal weight (between 5th percentile and 85th percentile); overweight (between 85th and 95th percentile); and obesity (more than 95th percentile) |
| Cutoffs: | Other |
Children, 2017-2018
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 10-19 |
| Sample size: | 220842 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Ibrahim, M., Albwardi, S., Alzaher, A., Nahhas, M. and Alabdulkareem, K., 2021. School-Based Body Mass Index Survey: A national study of Obesity Prevalence among School Students in Saudi Arabia, 2018: Obesity Prevalence among School Students in Saudi Arabia, 2018. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries, 15(2). |
| Definitions: | BMI data were plotted on Saudi’s sex‐specific percentile charts. |
| Cutoffs: | Other |
Children, 2015
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 6-16 |
| Sample size: | 7930 |
| Area covered: | Regional |
| References: | Al-Hussaini A, Bashir MS, Khormi M, et al. Overweight and obesity among Saudi children and adolescents: Where do we stand today?. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2019;25(4):229–235. doi:10.4103/sjg.SJG_617_18 |
| Notes: | Region: Riyadh City (urban), WHO 2007 Cut Off |
| Cutoffs: | WHO |
Children, 2013-2014
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 15-18 |
| Sample size: | 968 |
| Area covered: | Subnational (Dammam) |
| References: | Musaiger A.O et al. 2016. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in eight Arab countries: comparison between two international standards (ARABEAT-2). Nutr Hosp. 33(5). pp. 1062-1065. |
| Notes: | IOTF cut-offs used NOTE: 2016 data available, sample size (1109). Al-Ghamdi et al. 2018. Prevalence of overweight and obesity based on the body mass index; a cross-sectional study in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia. Lipids in Health and Disease. 17 (134). Doi: 10.1186/s12944-018-0778-5. |
| Cutoffs: | IOTF |
Children, 2005
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 13-17 |
| Sample size: | 19317 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | El Mouzan MI, Foster PJ, Al Herbish AS et al. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents. Ann Saudi Med. 2010 May-Jun; 30(3): 203–208. |
| Notes: | WHO 2007 Cut OFF. Not IOTF Cut off. Comparison with CDC cut off also available |
| Cutoffs: | WHO |
Children, 1994-1998
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 5-17 |
| Sample size: | 12698 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Elhazmi Mohsen AF and Warsy AS. (2002). The prevalence of overweight and obesity in 1 - 18 years-old Saudi Children. Annuals Saudi Medicals, 22(5-6):303 - 307. |
| Notes: | IOTF Cut off. Reference: Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH. Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: International survey. BMJ. 2000 May 6;320(7244):1240-3. |
| Cutoffs: | IOTF |
% Adults living with obesity, 1989-2019
Men
| Survey type: | Measured |
| References: | 1989: Osman AK, Al-Nozha MM. Risk factors of coronary artery disease in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Eastern Mediterranean health Journal;6:465-474 2013: Saudi Health Interview Survey (SHIS) 2019: 2019 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia World Health Survey. https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/Population-Health-Indicators/Documents/World-Health-Survey-Saudi-Arabia.pdf (Accessed 16.11.2021) |
| Different methodologies may have been used to collect this data and so data from different surveys may not be strictly comparable. Please check with original data sources for methodologies used. | |
Women
| Survey type: | Measured |
| References: | 1989: Osman AK, Al-Nozha MM. Risk factors of coronary artery disease in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Eastern Mediterranean health Journal;6:465-474 2013: Saudi Health Interview Survey (SHIS) 2019: 2019 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia World Health Survey. https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/Population-Health-Indicators/Documents/World-Health-Survey-Saudi-Arabia.pdf (Accessed 16.11.2021) |
| Different methodologies may have been used to collect this data and so data from different surveys may not be strictly comparable. Please check with original data sources for methodologies used. | |
