KUNA : Early intervention is key to limit obesity in Kuwait — doctor – Health – 15/07/2023 – Kuwait News Agency

KUNA : Early intervention is key to limit obesity in Kuwait — doctor – Health – 15/07/2023 – Kuwait News Agency

By Mervet Abdeldayem (interview)

KUWAIT, July 15 (KUNA) -- Head of health enhancement administration at the Ministry of Health Dr Abeer Al-Bahouh affirmed that the rise in obesity rate in Kuwait, especially between the age of 18 to 29, calls for early intervention to fight obesity.



In an interview with KUNA on Saturday, Dr Al-Bahouh noted that statistics have shown a prominent rise in obesity, making Kuwait become the number one country in the Arab World, with 77 percent of the total population being overweight, while obesity rate is over 40 percent.



Being overweight is a global problem, with expectations that four billion people will suffer from the issue by 2035, compared with 2.6 billion people in 2020. This is reflected by the rise in population numbers from 38 percent in 2020 to an expected above 50 percent by 2035, she added.



She noted that obesity rate is expected to be the highest among children and teenagers, rising from ten percent to 20 percent among boys from 2020 to 2035, while the percentage among girls will go from eight to 18 percent around the world.



Meanwhile, Dr Al-Bahouh warned