Prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults from the Middle East: A large‐scale population‐based study
Authors' conclusion
This is the largest epidemiological study to provide direct prevalence data on OAO at this scale in the region and one of the largest globally. Using standard WHO cut points to define OAO may severely underestimate the prevalence of clinically actionable obesity in individuals of Southeast Asian ethnicity. This first application of new diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity suggests that some individuals may be disqualified from therapy who might otherwise benefit from a patient-centric approach.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged >18 years attending the Dubai Academic Health Corporation (DAHC), January 2018–August 2023; 48.5% female, 52% aged 19–39 years, 37.1% UAE nationals
- Participants
- 440,590 adults
- Outcome
- Prevalence of overweight and obesity (OAO), WHO standards or modified WHO cut points for South-East Asian Region (SEAR) countries
Methodological detailsmulti-centre, population-based
- Multi-centre
- Population-based
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Living with overweight and obesity (OAO), overall
63.4%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values | P value |
|---|---|---|
| OAO by nationalityUAE nationals vs SEAR nationals · more with UAE nationals | UAE nationals 68.3% · SEAR nationals 59.7% · Elsewhere 63.6% | P < 0.001 |
| OAO by nationalityUAE nationals vs Elsewhere · more with UAE nationals | P < 0.001 | |
| Obesity by sexFemales vs Males · more with females | Females 30.4% · Males 25.9% | P < 0.001 |
Obesity by sex
- About half of female UAE nationals aged ≥40 years living with obesity; about one in five of them class 2 or 3
Obesity, standard vs modified ethnicity-specific thresholds
- Overall obesity proportion in the UAE, standard to modified thresholds
- 28.0% to 35.8%
Clinical obesity (Lancet Commission criteria) in BMI ≥40 kg/m²
- About a third had signs or symptoms of ongoing organ dysfunction classifiable as clinical obesity
Original publication
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