The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is grappling with a growing obesity epidemic, which has become a significant public health concern, particularly among adolescents. Meanwhile, global adolescent health is teetering on the brink, facing multiple challenges.
In the MENA region, the prevalence of childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity has been alarmingly increasing. Studies show that the combined prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in the Middle East can reach up to 49.4%, varying by research methods. In countries like Kuwait, the overweight and obesity rates among young males are 25.6% and 34.8% respectively, while among females, they are 20.8% and 20.5%. Risk factors such as lack of physical activity, consumption of fried food, high stress levels, and family history of obesity contribute to this concerning trend.
The changing lifestyle and dietary habits play a major role. After the discovery of oil in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, the once arduous desert life became more comfortable, but traditional healthy lifestyles were gradually replaced. Processed foods high in sugar, salt, and oil from the West are substituting healthier traditional diets like dates, wheat, camel milk, vegetables, and meat. The spread of a sedentary Western lifestyle, along with reduced physical activity due to factors such as the increased use of maids, private cars, and household appliances, has led to a surge in obesity rates. Moreover, cultural factors also contribute, such as collective eating habits in some areas and restrictions on women’s physical activity in certain countries.
Globally, the situation of adolescent health is equally worrying. Experts warn that by 2030, nearly half a billion teenagers worldwide will be obese. According to the Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, adolescent health has reached a “tipping point”. The main drivers of ill – health among teens have shifted from cigarettes and alcohol to weight gain and mental health problems. Projections indicate that 464 million teenagers around the world will be overweight or obese by 2030, an increase of 143 million compared to 2015.
Although there have been some improvements in aspects such as the decline in substance abuse and the increase in educational participation among adolescents, the rapid rise in non – communicable diseases, mental disorders, and the threats posed by overlapping trends like climate change, the growing influence of commercial interests on health, conflicts, rapid urbanization, and the aftermath of the COVID – 19 pandemic are impeding further progress in adolescent health.
This generation of adolescents, born between 2000 and 2014, is the largest in human history and the first to grow up in a world affected by climate change, becoming “the first cohort of humans who will live their entire life experiencing the growing reverberations of climate change”. They are also the first generation of digital natives, facing both the opportunities and challenges brought about by digital technology.
The obesity problem in the Middle East not only has a profound impact on the physical health of adolescents in the region but also serves as a microcosm of the global adolescent health crisis. Urgent action is needed from all sectors, including governments, international organizations, and society as a whole, to address the obesity epidemic and improve the overall health and well – being of adolescents globally. This includes implementing policies to promote healthy diets and physical activity, strengthening health education, and reducing the negative impact of commercial factors on adolescent health.
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