Childhood obesity in the Middle East: a review

Abstract

Accurate and comprehensive data on the extent of the problem of childhood obesity is lacking in countries of the Middle East. This review, based on a Medline search, summarizes the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in the region during 1990-2007. The highest rates of obesity and overweight were reported from Bahrain and the lowest from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Studies from Saudi Arabia, Islamic Republic of Iran and Kuwait showed an upwards trend in childhood obesity compared with a decade ago. Lack of uniformity in reference standards and reporting systems renders comparisons difficult. Nevertheless, the high prevalence of childhood obesity in the Middle East should stimulate policy-makers in the region to set up effective national and regional surveillance systems.

A traditional dietary pattern is associated with lower odds of overweight and obesity among preschool children in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study

“…and track into adulthood [4][5][6]. Cardiometabolic abnormalities such as dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, impaired glucose homeostasis and metabolic syndrome are amongst the well-documented short-term health consequences of pediatric obesity [7].…”

Prevalences of overweight and obesity and their association with physical activity pattern among Iranian adolescents aged 12–17 years

“…The adolescent boys gain much more lean body muscle and bone, whereas the adolescent girls gain a greater amount of fat than the boys (31) . In addition, the lower rate of obesity in adolescent girls in our study can be attributed to their lower food intake for keeping or preserving a suitable body image because their tendency to obesity decreases as they grow up, whereas such tendency is usually ignored in adolescent boys (16) . The prevalence of overweight/obesity in children and adolescents has been investigated in several previous studies (19,20,26,(32)(33)(34)(35)(36) .…”

“…However, the influences of SES on BMI vary across different populations and high obesity prevalence has also been reported in low SES populations (16) . Parental obesity may also affect children's BMI through genetic contribution or exhibition of behaviour patterns (22) .…”

“…This issue can be considered important in explaining the various prevalence rates of overweight/obesity observed in studies from various geographic areas or the different prevalence rates between boys and girls regardless of other associated factors. High intake of snacks, and insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables, have been considered as associated factors of obesity in adolescents (16,41) . A correlation between obesity and intake of sweet foods while watching television or playing on a computer has been shown in a few but not all studies (8,20,42,43) .…”

“…Similarly, in other geographic regions such as the Middle East countries including Iran, the prevalence of obesity in children is also rising. Recent reports indicate that over 15 % of children living in Iran and neighbouring countries are overweight or obese (5,(16)(17)(18)(19) . The high prevalence rate of overweight/ obesity among children in northern Iran is of particular concern and worries families into seeking weight-reduction programmes (19) .…”