Jordan ranks fourth in Arab world and 23rd globally for male obesity

• Salma Hossein
• . March 9, 2023
• . Update: March 9, 2023 11:47 pm
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The Global Obesity Observatory has recently revealed certain alarming statistics on obesity rates around the world. Jordan ranks fourth in the Arab world and 23rd worldwide out of 200 countries for male obesity, at 29.17% of the male population.

Obesity, referring to the excess accumulation of fat that poses a health risk, is currently one of the most common health problems across the globe. The condition has grown to epidemic proportions. 2017 statistics from the “Global Burden of Disease” program showed over 4 million people are dying each year because of being overweight or obese.

In terms of male obesity rates among Arab countries, Kuwait ranks first with a rate of 34.28% and 15th globally, followed by Qatar – which ranks second in the Arab world and 16th globally with a rate of 33.46%. Saudi Arabia, with a rate of 31.73%, ranks third in the Arab world and 17th worldwide.

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While Jordan ranks fourth among Arab countries, the UAE comes fifth and 26th globally, with a 28.44% obesity rate among men.

In terms of obesity rates among women in the Arab countries, Kuwait again ranks first in the Arab world and 14th globally, followed by Qatar, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Globally, the island of Nauru in the southwestern Pacific Ocean ranks first when male obesity rates are concerned, while American Samoa comes first among women.

Obesity rates are seeing faster gains, particularly in lower-income countries, a new report from the World Obesity Federation showed, adding 51% of the world’s population, or over 4 billion people, could get overweight or obese by 2035 without sufficient healthy intervention.

Authors of the report used Body Mass Index (BMI) for their assessments. The figure is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared. While a BMI score over 25 is considered overweight, over 30 is considered obese, according to the World Health Organisation’s guidelines.