UAE obesity rates to hit 95% by 2050, highest globally
The Lancet study predicts that adult male obesity rates in the UAE aged 25 and older will rise to 94 percent by 2050 from 84 percent in 2021 becoming the highest in the world alongside Kuwait and some other nations.
The UAE will move to the fourth highest position globally in overweight and obesity rates among females by 2050 with a 95 per cent prevalence rate following Egypt, Tonga and Kuwait.
Residents aged 25-plus in neighboring Gulf nations including Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman show overweight and obesity rates that exceed 90 per cent.
The percentage of young people in the UAE who are obese or overweight will grow from 62 percent in 2021 to 81 percent by 2050 making it one of the highest rates in the world.
Healthcare experts in UAE attribute the serious obesity statistics to residents' lack of physical activity combined with their regular consumption of processed and junk food and extensive screen time.
Dr Jessica Kerr from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia stressed that government policies should prioritize obesity prevention. Dr Tasneem Mohamad Nour Abu El Foul from Aster Hospital Sharjah identified multiple opportunities to resolve this issue.
The modern lifestyle trend includes an increase in convenience food consumption along with more sedentary behavior patterns. Dr Tasneem explained that the current obstacles provide a chance for people and communities to establish healthy lifestyle practices including nutritious diets and physical activity through innovative healthcare programs.
The UAE is taking a proactive and preventive approach to healthcare in order to protect its population's health according to Shaista Asif, group CEO of PureHealth.
Our goal is to improve health throughout the entire population. She explained during Investopia 2025 that by providing access to quality health we enable an entire ecosystem to work together which helps people achieve longer healthier lives.
Ramadan is the time to start weight loss
She recommended that UAE residents take advantage of Ramadan to start their weight-loss program.
Structured fasting periods help people develop better eating habits and self-control which leads to weight reduction and better insulin function. Research demonstrates fasting during Ramadan leads to improved weight loss and glycemic control.
Dr Tasneem explained that rising obesity rates in the UAE create opportunities for enhanced preventative care and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
The healthcare system impact can be controlled effectively when community wellness programmes and accessible healthcare services are properly implemented. The UAE's investments in healthcare infrastructure create opportunities for developing innovative solutions that manage and prevent obesity-related health issues and these solutions will enhance public health outcomes and boost productivity.
Overweight weighing globally
According to the Lancet study recent generations experience faster weight gain than past ones leading to earlier onset of obesity which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes high blood pressure cardiovascular diseases and multiple cancers at younger ages.
Obesity rates among men aged 25 born in high-income countries were around 7 percent for those born in the 1960s but increased to 16 percent for those born in the 1990s and are projected to reach 25 percent for men born in 2015.
The research showed that half of the world's adult population aged 25 and older, including one billion men alongside 1.11 billion women, were expected to be overweight or obese in 2021.
The United States exhibited the highest obesity rates among affluent nations reaching 42 percent among males and 46 percent among females in 2021.
The percentage of overweight and obese adults will escalate from 43.4 per cent in 2021 to approximately 57.4 per cent for men by 2050 and from 46.7 per cent to 60.3 per cent for women in the same timeframe with Asia and sub-Saharan Africa anticipated to experience the highest increases due to population expansion.
Awoke Temesgen, a clinical Associate Professor at IHME and co-author, announced that sub-Saharan Africa faces a rapid increase in obesity with projections of 522 million adults and over 200 million youth projected to live with overweight or obesity by 2050.
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