High prevalence of clinical obesity among Saudi females: a prospective, cross-sectional study in the Riyadh region

Abstract

A cross-sectional study of 1385 Saudi females attending 15 health centres in urban and rural areas in the Riyadh region was conducted during September and October 1992 to determine the prevalence of obesity and its associated factors. The mean age was 32.2 +/- 11.7 years and body mass index (BMI) 29.2 +/- 7.0 kg m-2. Only 26.1% of subjects were their ideal weight (BMI < 25 kg m-2), while 26.8% were overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg m-2), 41.9% were moderately obese (BMI 30-40 kg m-2) and 5.1% were morbidly obese (BMI > 40 kg m-2). High-risk groups for obesity were mostly middle aged, multiparous housewives. Patients living in rural areas had greater BMIs than those living in urban areas (P < 0.01). Thirty per cent of overweight participants did not think they were overweight. The study emphasizes the need for community based programmes for preventing and reducing obesity since weight control is effective in ameliorating most of the disorders associated with obesity such as Type 2 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, sleep apnoea syndrome and osteoarthritis of the knees. The focus of efforts should be directed towards young mothers who are at risk of developing obesity and who play a central role in perpetuating it in their offspring.