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There is significant evidence for the existence of worldwide increase of obesity in children. The problem is not only confined to developed countries; as there has been significant increase in middle and low income countries, and Saudi Arabia is not an exception. The problem of obesity in developing countries further impacts on the burden of disease in these countries. Individual nations need to be informed of the magnitude of the obesity problem in their different settings and an effective comprehensive approach including, formulation of effective health policies and health legislation development will enable development of long-term measures that address obesity epidemic. This article highlights the magnitude of obesity in Saudi Arabia and attempts to suggest policies and strategies potential to addressing obesity problems in Saudi Arabia. Multiple determinants of obesity are discussed related to the Saudi context.

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Childhood obesity is considered as a serious health problem worldwide. The aim of this review is to evaluate the prevalence and the trends of obesity among Saudi children. A full search was conducted for all articles published between 2000 and 2012 on obesity in Saudi children. The latest national data revealed that the rates of overweight and obesity among school-age children have reached 23% and 9.3%, respectively. However, the rates of overweight and obesity among preschool children were reported as approximately 15% and 6%, respectively. A variation in the prevalence of obesity and overweight in children among geographical regions of the Kingdom was noted. Eastern and central regions have the highest prevalence of obesity and overweight and southern regions have the lowest prevalence of obesity and overweight. Both regional and national studies showed a trend of rising obesity over time. This review demonstrated that Saudi children have a high prevalence of obesity and being overweight with a rising trend. In light of these findings, it is evident that a national strategy is required to treat and prevent this serious health problem.

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Obesity is a global epidemic, preventable, and a disease of clinical and public health significance. It has emerged as a major risk factor for the development of disability, several other noncommunicable diseases, and premature death. This review summarized epidemiological studies related to the obesity prevalence and identified its potential risk factors among the Arab population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect database, and other local journals were searched to identify relevant literature by means of appropriate keywords to retrieve studies conducted in the UAE. Search limits were restricted to studies in English language, between 2007 and 2016, and on the UAE population (both citizens and expatriates). The search yielded 15 studies regarding the prevalence and risk factors of obesity, including cross-sectional studies (n = 11), a population-based survey (n = 1), a retrospective cohort study (n = 1), and qualitative focus group surveys (n = 2). Cross-sectional studies found that the prevalence of obesity ranged between 16 and 28.4%, with a higher proportion of adult females being more obese than males in UAE. This increasing obesity prevalence places a large burden on healthcare costs and usage. Furthermore, some potentially essential risk factors were identified, which would help to guide future research strategies. This review signifies a promptly increasing obesity prevalence in the UAE and suggests that extra effort is needed for preventive and curative strategies to reduce the burden of this common condition.

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Background: Overweight and obesity, initially thought to be the problem of the developed countries, are rapidly rising in the developing countries constituting a high proportion of nutritional problems in these countries. Several factors, including changing lifestyle and improved economic power, are believed to contribute to this trend. This pattern if unchecked is known to lead to several medical complications. We thus aim to assess and compare the prevalence of overweight/obesity among primary school pupils from the public and private schools as well as determine factors contributing to the rising trend. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and twenty primary school children from public and private schools were selected using multistage stratified random sampling. Relevant information was obtained using a questionnaire, and anthropometric indices were recorded. Data obtained were analyzed using EPI INFO version 3.5.1. and frequencies were compared using Chi-square. Results: Seventy-three (17.4%) of the 420 pupils studied were found to be overweight/obese. Pupils from private school accounted for the majority of these cases with 28 (13.3%) and 29 (13.8%) of them being overweight and obese, respectively. High socioeconomic class and consumption of energy-dense diet were significantly associated with high prevalence of overweight/obesity (P < 0.001). In contrast, regular physical activity was significantly associated with low prevalence (P < 0.001). Conclusion and Recommendations: Prevalence of overweight/obesity among primary school pupils is quite high in Lagos, Nigeria. High socioeconomic class, consumption of energy dense food, and lack of adequate physical activities appear to be major factors contributing to this high prevalence. Introduction of daily school meal and mandatory physical activity in all the schools would go a long way in imbibing healthy eating and lifestyle pattern into these children. Public nutritional education and campaign on the importance of healthy lifestyle and complications associated with overweight and obesity would probably reverse the trend.

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Overweight and obesity affect more than 75% of the total population in Saudi Arabia. Almost all age groups are affected in general and adults particularly. In order to introduce high quality health-care for these individual, it is mandatory to establish clinical guideline that will help health-care providers to manage this common problem at all levels. This guideline was adapted from Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and other international guidelines for prevention and management overweight and obesity. The guideline will cover preventive and curative aspects of overweight and obesity and could be implemented at primary, secondary, and tertiary care levels in Saudi Arabia.

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Background: Previous research suggested that obesity is associated with an increased risk of mental illness. Depression, stress, and anxiety are among the psychological problems that are commonly associated with obesity among students. However, evidence linking obesity to mental illness is inconsistent. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between mental disorders (in particular the depression, anxiety, and stress) and obesity in the male students of King Khalid University (KKU). Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted including male Saudi students enrolled in KKU at Abha City during the academic year 2013-2014. A multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted. Data were collected using the Arabic version of the depression anxiety stress scale. Results: The study included 389 university students. Their age ranged between 18 and 26 years with a mean age of 21.2 ΁ 1.5 years. They were almost equally distributed between four colleges (Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences, and Languages and translation). Overweight was reported among 22.1% of the students whereas obesity was reported among 18.3% of them. The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress were 48.1, 58.9, and 40.4%, respectively. The association of obesity with depression, anxiety, and stress was found statistically significant (P < 0.001, <0.001 and <0.003, respectively). Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity are considerably high among male University Students in Abha. These findings suggest that obesity is associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Prospective studies will ultimately be required in order to clarify the temporal relation between obesity and common mental disorders.

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Context: Saudi Arabians suffer from overweight and obesity, which contribute significantly to the poor control of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN). Aim: To assess the effect of overweight and obesity on diabetes and HTN control in Aseer region, KSA. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted by the end of the year 2010. All medical records were assessed by trained doctors and nurses working in the Chronic Disease Clinic at each primary health care center (PHCC) using a check list derived from the quality assurance manual of PHC. The Chronic Disease Services were based on the recommendation of the relevant guidelines. Data entry and analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. P-values less than 0.05 were selected for statistical significance. Results: The prevalence of obesity among diabetics and hypertensive patients was 46% and 54%, respectively. The diabetic patients with good control comprised 21% of the study population, while less than one-third of the patients had fair diabetic control and about half of the diabetics had poor diabetic control. About more than one-third of patients had good control of HTN and less than one-third suffered from overweight and more than half had obesity. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that most of DM and HTN patients in PHCCs, Aseer Region, KSA, suffered from overweight and obesity, which contribute significantly to the poor control of DM and HTN.

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Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and the prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity among Saudi primary school students in AlAbnaa primary schools in Tabuk. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among primary schools students in AlAbnaa Schools in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Sampling frame included all genders. In the first stage, a sample of four primary schools had been selected using simple random technique-two primary school for boys and two for girls. In the second stage, stratified sampling technique had been used. The data was collected through a self-administered validated questionnaire. Height and weight of the subjects were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Recently published 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts which depended on data from widely different ethnic backgrounds and cultural settings were used for defining overweight and obesity among students. Results: A total of 331 out of the target study subjects of 350 responded to the survey giving a response rate of 94.6%. Age of the respondents ranged from 6-13 years old and the mean age was 9.7 ± 2.1 years. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among male primary school students were 7.3% and 17.4%, respectively while the prevalence among female students were 12.4% and 20.9%, respectively. Overweight and obesity were more prevalent among student living with both parents (P = 0.031), with highly educated parents (P = 0.008), with history of maternal obesity (P = 0.001), with working mothers (P = 0.024), and with smaller family size (P = 0.004). Conclusion: The results of the current study provide alarming evidence-based data on the considerable prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity among Saudi primary school children in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

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Overweight and obesity affect more than 75% of the total population in Saudi Arabia. Almost all age groups are affected in general and adults particularly. In order to introduce high quality health-care for these individual, it is mandatory to establish clinical guideline that will help health-care providers to manage this common problems at all levels. This guideline was adapted from Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network for management of obesity after taking permission in this regard. The guideline will cover preventive and curative aspects of overweight and obesity and could be implemented at primary, secondary, and tertiary care levels in Saudi Arabia.

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Aim: To study the effect of obesity on periodontal health among patients visiting Outpatient Department of Public Health Dentistry. Materials and Methods: A total of 600 subjects aged 20 years and above who visited Outpatient Department of Public Heath Dentistry, Swami Devi Dyal Hospital and Dental College, Panchkula, were included. Periodontal status of the subjects was recorded. Body mass index was used as measure to assess obesity. Variables like age, gender, smoking and frequency of cleaning, which could act as covariants for the periodontal disease were recorded. Statistical Analysis: Frequency distribution for the determination of prevalence of a number of variables, cross tabulations and Chi square tests were used to find out the significance of differences. Further, multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out. Results: The periodontal disease shows significant association with age, gender, OHIS, smoking and obesity (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression after adjusting for age, gender, OHIS and smoking showed that obese individuals were at 1.26 times (95% confidence interval 1.02-2.78) at risk for developing periodontal diseases when compared to non-obese individuals. Conclusion: The findings of present study showed significant association between obesity and periodontal disease.

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Obesity is a growing epidemic affecting all ages in both industrialized and developing countries. The most common suggested cause of this epidemic is the increasing levels of urbanization and lifestyle changes toward sedentary life and adopting "western" dietary patterns. The association between obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been reproducibly observed in cross-sectional and prospective studies across various populations, even when using different fatness measures and diagnostic criteria for T2DM. However, there are some modifying factors that make such an association complex and multifactorial. These modifying factors include the duration of obesity, body fat distribution, physical activity, diet, and genetics/ethnicity. This review aims to summarize the evidence of this association and its potential modifying factors.

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Background: Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases and some malignancies. It became as international epidemic, particularly in Western and Gulf countries. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight among resident physicians in the postgraduate training programs of Saudi Board in Aseer Region, KSA. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during October to November 2013. Data were collected through a questionnaire developed by the researchers, which included the demographic data, weight and height measurements, and dietary habit using food frequency questionnaire. The first researcher met all the respondents and measured their weight and height, then every subject was asked to fill the self-administered questionnaire. Results: Out of 255 invited residents, 82.7% participated in this study. The mean age of the respondents was 27.9 ± 2.6 years. Almost two-thirds of them (66.8%) were males. Majority of them (96.2%) were Saudi. Overweight and obesity were reported among 36% and 23.2% of the residents, respectively. Obesity was significantly higher among male than female resident physicians (31.9% vs. 7.1%), P < 0.001. Taking of potatoes chips, sweets, pizza, never drinking skimmed milk, and never drinking semi-skimmed milk were significantly associated with obesity among resident physicians. Conclusion: Frequency of overweight and obesity was high among Saudi Board residents in Aseer Region and significantly higher in male than female physicians. Taking of potatoes chips, sweets, pizza, never drinking skimmed milk, and never drinking semi-skimmed milk were significantly associated with obesity among resident physicians.

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Background: Obesity and overweight are associated with significant health and health-related conditions, which have a negative impact on the quality of life. Objectives: To determine the proportion and characteristics of obesity among adults visiting a major family practice center in central Saudi Arabia and to compare the demographic and health-related conditions among obese and nonobese adults. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in a major family practice center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Patients attending the center between 1 ^st September and 30 ^th November 30, 2013 were interviewed using a data collection form developed to meet the objectives of the study. Logistic regression was used to generate the odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for the association of body mass index and risks factors. Results : A total number of 300 adult participants were included in this study. The mean age and standard deviation were 46 years (±17 years). The proportion of overweight and obesity in the total sample was 32% and 50% respectively. Frequency of obesity was found to increase with age till the age of 50 where it drops afterward. Obesity significantly affects the participants within the age group from 40 to 60 more than other age groups (P < 0.001). Obesity was significantly associated with female gender and marital status (P < 0.018 and 0.006, respectively). The presence of obesity was found to decline significantly with increasing level of education. The presence of obesity was more in patients who have other chronic medical problems and those who reported less exercise. In addition to nonsmoking status, stepwise multiple logistic regressions showed that low level of education and having chronic medical diseases especially hypertension could be considered as predictors of developing obesity. Conclusion: This study confirmed previously published data about the seriousness of overweight and obesity among adults in Saudi Arabia. Certain patient categories are at a higher risk as women, married, and less educated patients. The positive role of education was clearly demonstrated and highlights the important role in effective health education strategies to minimize the negative public impact of obesity and overweight.

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Background and objectives: Overweight as well as obesity is a risk factor of maternal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. This study assessed the meal pattern and incidence of overweight and obesity among market women in a Southwest community, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 250 market women randomly selected by multistage sampling technique. Respondents’ personal characteristics and meal pattern were obtained through a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Their weight and height were measured and used to calculate their body mass index (BMI), which was categorized into underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²), normal weight (BMI = 18.5–24.9 kg/m²), overweight (BMI = 25.0–29.9 kg/m²), and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16.0. Results: The mean age of the market women was 37.31 ± 15.31 years and 50 (20.0%) of them had no formal education. Majority of participants ate three meals (64%) while 27% ate more than three meals per day. Breakfast meal was usually skipped by 163 (65.2%) of the women and 155 (62.0%) and 190 (76.0%) women often ate breakfast and lunch meals, respectively, outside the home. The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity was 25.2, 16.0, and 8.0%, respectively. Women’s BMI was significantly associated with their age, marital status, family type, and level of education. Conclusion: This study reveals the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among the market women. Older age, marriage, and monogamous family adversely influenced overweight/obesity. Nutrition education is recommended as an intervention strategy.

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Background: Few studies have been published on histopathological findings in patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). However, no study has been published from Jordan, addressing the main histopathological findings for patients who underwent this procedure. Objective: This study aims to identify the patterns of gastric pathology among patients underwent laproscopic sleeve gastrectomy in Jordan. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of histopathological results was performed for 150 patients who underwent LSG at Jordan University Hospital from 2008 to 2012, performed by a single surgeon. All the specimens were examined at the Pathology Department of Jordan University Hospital. Results: The average age of patients was 34.6 years and mean body mass index (BMI) was 45.1. Females represented 79.3% of all patients. Chronic gastritis was found in140 patients (93.3%), and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) was found in 51.3% of patients. Conclusion: In Jordan, chronic gastritis is most common in obese patients who underwent LSG. This finding supports previously published papers that focus on the importance of examining specimens postoperatively, also addressing a possible relation to the geographical area.

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Background: Obesity is one of the most chronic problems which is associated with many serious health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart diseases. Objective: To estimate the magnitude of overweight and obesity among adults attending Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) in Aseer region, KSA. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted during December 2012 at all PHCCs in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. A data collecting sheet was designed by the investigators to achieve the objective of the study. It contained age, sex, weight, height, history of hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, and watching TV. Doctors and nurses at PHCCs were instructed regarding using of data collecting sheet. Result: A total of 6 917 adult individuals were assessed during the week of this study. Mean age of participants was 48 years; both genders were equal. Prevalence rates of smoking, diabetes, and hypertension were 6%, 17%, And 12%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 32% and 39%, respectively. Obesity among males and females were 28% and 44%, respectively. Most of patients with hypertension and diabetes were overweight or obese. Conclusion: This survey revealed that prevalence of overweight and obesity are high among adults attending PHCC in Aseer region. Urgent action including health education, health promotion, and treating the affected individuals are mandatory to reduce the magnitude and consequences of this health problem.

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Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is one feature of obese patients with type 2 diabetes and associated with a clustering of metabolic abnormalities. Obesity per se is one component of a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that included the hyperinsulinemia. Objectives: This study aims to assess the status of IR in obese nondiabetic subjects using HOME-IR index and demonstrate the therapeutic effect of metformin as an insulin sensitizer. Materials and Methods: A total number of 76 out of 97 obese male completed the study. The subjects assigned to receive a single-dose of metformin (850 mg/daily) for 3 months. Anthropometric measurements and the following biochemical tests were carried on before and after treatment: Fasting serum glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and fasting serum insulin. The basal metabolic rate (BMR), HOMA-IR, and insulin sensitivity (IS) were calculated using a specific formula. Results: Metformin therapy resulted in a significant decrease in body mass index of obese subjects. This effect is associated with significant decrease BMR. Significant decrease HOMA-IR observed in Classes I and II obesity (62.95% and 65.13%, respectively) and to a lesser extent in Class III (72.48%). Significant improvement in glycosylated hemoglobin was observed in Classes I and II obesity. HOMA-IR index is significantly correlated with glycosylated hemoglobin before and after treatment. Conclusions: Metformin improves IS in nondiabetic obese men besides its favorable effect in reducing the body weight.

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Background: Individual with morbid obesity and type 2 diabetes benefits from weight loss, as this allows better glycemic control and modifies the coexisting risk factors for coronary heart disease, namely hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, sleep apnea, and other comorbidities that constitute the metabolic syndrome. Aims: The purposes of the present study were to investigate whether weight loss after bariatric surgery can correct glycemic control and reduces the need of antidiabetic treatment in morbidly obese patient with type 2 diabetes, and whether sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass is associated with better control. Settings and Design: This study was performed in Sri Aurobindo Medical College, Indore, India. Sampling taken was nonrandom and purposive. Subjects and Methods: Forty patients with diabetes type-2 and body mass index (BMI) >35 (20 of which undergone sleeve gastrectomy and other 20 undergone gastric bypass) were enrolled in study, all these patient had undergone bariatric surgery. Their obesity status in terms of height, weight and BMI, Glycemic status and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and treatment status in terms of oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin were noted in details preoperatively. Qualitative variables were tested using Chi-square test and P values were calculated between two groups. P ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: This study showed good control of glycemic status with mean HbA1c within desired level after 6 months of bariatric surgery, while gastric bypass surgery was associated with better glycemic control and weight loss. Conclusions: This study showed that the bariatric surgery was an effective option for morbidly obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Gastric bypass surgery was associated with better diabetic control and weight loss than sleeve gastrectomy.

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Background: Dual burden of malnutrition comprising of both under nutrition and over nutrition constitutes an important public health problem among Indian adolescents. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of dual burden of malnutrition (underweight and overweight/obesity) among adolescents and to understand the role of dietary habits and physical activity in this regard. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shimla district of North India. A total of 720 adolescents aged 14-19 years were selected to participate in the study. Data were collected on sociodemographic status, physical activity, dietary intake, and anthropometry. Statistical analysis was done using Epi info software for windows (version 6.0, Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA). Results: A total of 298 (41.3%) of the adolescents were suffering from dual burden of malnutrition. The binary logistic regression revealed a statistically significant positive association of overweight/obesity with frequent fast food consumption (odds ratio [OR] = 4.45, confidence interval [CI] = 2.42-8.18). Individuals consuming less salt in the diet had lower odds of being overweight/obese (OR = 0.47, CI = 0.25-0.87). Similarly, individuals frequently consuming fruits in the diet had lesser odds of being underweight (OR = 0.61, CI = 0.42-0.86). Conclusion: The high prevalence of the dual burden of malnutrition in this study stresses the need for policy makers in India to adapt the current adolescent program so as to focus on both ends of the nutrition spectrum.

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Introduction Majority of data on the association between obesity and increased cardiovascular risk are from studies conducted in western countries with majority of studies being from Nigeria focusing on prevalence in selected populations. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between obesity and blood pressure (BP), blood sugar, and proteinuria. Materials and Methods This was a community-based, cross-sectional study of 526 adults aged 18 years and older in three local government areas in Lagos. Obesity was assessed using the body mass index (BMI). BP, blood glucose (BG), and presence of proteinuria were determined. Obesity was defined as a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², elevated blood pressure (EBP) as a systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 90 mmHg, elevated blood glucose (EBG) as a random blood glucose (RBG) ≥ 200 mg/dL, and proteinuria as ≥2+ proteinuria on urinalysis (≥100 mg/dL). Results The mean age of the study population was 39.2 ± 15.1 years (range 18–83 years) with 51.9% being females. Overall, 116 (22.1%) were obese. The frequency of obesity increased with age and was significantly higher in females (28.9% vs 14.6%; P < 0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between BMI and SBP, DBP, and BG (r = 0.316, P < 0.001; r = 0.316, P < 0.001; and r = 0.245, P < 0.001, respectively). Compared to non-obese individuals, obese individuals in the study were older, more likely to be female, and had eight-fold odds of having EBG and four-fold odds of having proteinuria. Conclusion Obesity is common among adult Nigerians residing in Lagos. Its prevalence is higher in females and increases with age. It is associated with an increased risk of having EBG and proteinuria.

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Obesity is a challenging health problem. For people with morbid obesity who cannot lose weight, using conventional weight loss methods, they may resort to bariatric surgery. However, despite increasing evidence that physical activity (PA) can reduce weight and improve postsurgical outcomes, most preoperative obese patients are inactive. Therefore, the aim of the present paper was to review the evidence for the feasibility and beneficial health impact of prebariatric surgery PA program for obese patients and to discuss the practical implications of PA counseling and exercise prescription to healthcare providers. A systematic electronic search was conducted utilizing keywords related to PA, exercise, and prebariatric surgery using MEDLINE databases. The findings of this review indicated that a presurgical intervention targeting PA among obese patients awaiting bariatric surgery is feasible and has the potential to increase patient's engagement in PA postoperatively. In addition, higher levels of preoperative PA or physical fitness were associated with lower postsurgical complications and a shorter length of stay in hospital. There is also evidence to support that higher levels of preoperative PA may improve weight loss outcomes following laparoscopic surgery. Research showed that the daily time spent being sedentary among obese patients was quite excessive. In adult population, the available evidence demonstrates a dose-response relationship between the amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA and reduced weight loss and increased health benefits. It is recommended that healthcare providers to increase their use of the five A's (Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist, and Arrange) counseling model when counseling obese patients about PA and weight loss. Finally, the future studies must seek to make PA more effective and compliant for obese patients and focus on identifying major barriers that are preventing most patients from assuming active lifestyles.

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Obesity/overweight is very common health problems globally. In KSA, about three-quarter of population have either overweight or obesity. Obesity is known to be associated and complicated with other common health problems.. There is adequate evidence that obesity can be prevented and managed. Despite these facts, there were no standards for obesity care in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)A. The objective of this paper is to present some standards for obesity care at different levels of health care in KSA.

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Background: Obesity in Saudi Arabia is reaching an alarming level and hence the role of primary healthcare physicians becomes a necessity. Objective: This study aims to evaluate primary health care knowledge and the training needs with respect to managing obesity in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional survey was conducted among PHCC physicians in Saudi Arabia between May and October 2014. Questionnaire consisted of three parts; demographic data, questions about basic knowledge on obesity and training needs of PHCC physician regarding obesity. Questionnaire was distributed to selected physicians and response by ordinary mail through technical supervisors in general directorates all over KSA. Data entry and analysis were s carried out using SPSS. Results: Seven Hundred and seven physicians completed the questionnaire and returned it to the investigator. General knowledge about obesity was acceptable, as most of questions were answered correctly, 83.6% of the physicians had not received any specialized course or training on obesity. Priority of training requested by physicians was psychotherapy, medications (88%), counseling on nutrition/exercise (84%), and surgical therapy (75%). The difference regarding needs for training was not significantly different in relation to gender and nationality. Conclusion: This nationwide survey found that physicians had acceptable knowledge towards the management of obesity and overweight, however, they need to have more training regarding prevention and management of obesity.

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Obesity is an escalating global epidemic with exponential increasing rates in Saudi Arabia and Gulf Countries. Obesity has adverse effects on patients’ health, psychology, and socioeconomic status. In addition, it is a burden on societies when obese individuals become less productive in their work and governments spend more money for their accommodation in the society and health care expenditure. A comprehensive interprofessional system approach inclusive of broad environmental and social interventions and individuals’ psychological and behavioral changes is required to produce positive impact on obesity prevention and control in societies. The aim of this project is to involve concerned health care and non-health professions, policy makers, and other stakeholders to work together within a system framework. The idea of this project was initiated at the first residential meeting of the Manipal University – Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER, Philadelphia, USA) International Institute for Leadership in Interprofessional Education (MUFIILIPE) Fellowship Program, Manipal, India, in May 2015. The literature collected and carefully selected includes major reports, policies, guidelines, and interventions done at several sectorial levels; best-evidence practices on communities, health care professions, schools, and workplaces; implementation strategies, success stories, and barriers; and studies on assessment of the effectiveness and impact of these interventions. Out of hundreds of articles and reports in obesity and related NCDs published nationally and worldwide, this project documents and discusses local interventions and programs in this field with lessons learned. In addition, best-evidence practices/interventions, and policies that have worked globally to prevent and manage obesity are discussed and extrapolated to our local settings. Aided by national and international expert groups, this project tries to document a road map for a multisectorial interprofessional system approach to prevent and control obesity in the region to influence its impact on individuals and society.

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