A study conducted by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting found that 35.6 percent of Saudi Arabian adults are obese, making Saudi Arabia the 3rd country with the largest rate of adult obese population.

What is even more alarming is that childhood obesity is also on the rise. Nutritional Journal’s 2005 review entitled, “Childhood Obesity, Prevalence and Prevention” said that one in every six children aged 6 to 18 is obese. Although the rate is lower when compared to those of developed countries, it is relatively higher in developing countries.

Our children are the so-called “future of the country” and with a sizeable number of them being obese (which is also increasing at a faster rate every year), we can look forward to a gloomy future for Saudi Arabia unless concrete steps are taken to curb obesity.

This is because our children will transmit to the future generations what they have learned now and what we have entrusted to them. If what they have learned now is only about the affluent living, then that will be the same thing they will be teaching to their children. If that happens, one could imagine that in the future this country will be full of unhealthy, unproductive gluttons who just stay home waiting for the next meal.

First of all, obesity develops because of a large intake of calorie-rich foods. Saudi Arabia is the largest consumer of fast food in the Gulf region, amounting to three-quarters of total fast food consumption according to a Gulf News article. This is further substantiated by a Gulf Organization Industrial Consulting report that said 29 out of 60 fast food factories in the Gulf region are found in Saudi Arabia. (Although these data are from 2008, they more or less reflect the current prevailing trends).

Add to that the inherent affection of kids toward fast foods and junk foods. Parents give in because with junk, they do not need to prepare and cook food which can take an hour to be done. Parents, after all, are busy with work and they have no time to prepare meals. This makes kids become used to eating it, so much so they reject healthy home-cooked meals. These dietary trends are a far cry from the traditional diet in Saudi and which Saudis in the past preferred.

Along with the change of dietary habits, the populace has become largely physically inactive. The kids prefer to stay at home and watch TV or play computer games while women have restrictions going to the gym or participating in any kind of sport.

Combine unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity and the result is obesity.

Obesity is a disease that plagued all countries of the world regardless of economic status. Its effects are not just limited to health but can also affect the sociological and psychological aspects of a person, especially a child. Much more than that, obesity can also take a toll on the competitiveness of a vibrant economy like that of Saudi Arabia.

Obese children often experience taunts and jeers from their peers which greatly damage their self-esteem and outlook in life. It is no wonder why most of them shun social events and occasions. They rather stay at home and play video games or watch movies, thus further exacerbating their overweight problems.

Overweight Saudi Arabian kids are at risk of getting long-term chronic diseases such as high-blood pressure, sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in adulthood if not in their early years. When taken in a national context, diseases brought about by obesity can cause high healthcare expenses, early deaths and reduced human capital that is very essential to maintain a robust economy.

What is more ironic about these things is that all of these could have been avoided in the first place. If proper policies were set and concerned citizens took action, obesity would have not been such a threat to our national competitiveness.

We cannot just simply go on and continue on our ways. We cannot afford a Saudi Arabia in the future where most of the populace is overweight, unhealthy and unproductive. All Saudi Arabians should see obesity as a threat to our economic prosperity and to our nation as a whole.

To combat obesity, a nationwide campaign should be undertaken by concerned citizens to inform the public of the dangers of obesity. More often than not, most parents are misinformed about obesity, what causes it and what are its effects. We can raise funds to launch an information drive that will raise awareness about obesity through internet ads, TV and radio ads and printed ads on magazines, newspapers and billboards. We cannot just put all of these concerns only to the government. We, as citizens of this country, can take positive steps to help in whatever way we can instead of relying on to our government all the time. Together, we can make a difference.

For one, concerned citizens who are professional athletes could volunteer in activities such as school sports as instructors and coaches. Through School Sports Partnerships, they can conduct free training and coaching in schools or after school sports activities and in return, they will be given certification.

Another important thing is that sports should be promoted more than ever. We do have a national football team, and its players can be a good role model for young people to follow. Often, a successful campaign like this one succeeds when prominent people join in to help.

Moreover, private companies who have helped in various ways in the past should continue helping especially in the area of sports development for Saudi young people. Although private companies have sponsored various sports activities like football, marathon, golf, swimming, and many others, they only do that as a one-time philanthropic action and so the program stalls because the funding runs dry in the coming months. For private companies to follow through their philanthropic commitments, the government should encourage them to action by giving them some incentives.

Another important thing that needs to be emphasized is the action of the government. They can do more by putting the right physical education curricula in our schools. Currently, sports curricula are included in boys’ schools and not in girls’ schools and it focuses only on football. That is why we can see that many of these overweight kids are girls.

The General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW) should be expanded. Although their work has been commendable in the past several years, more should be done to encourage overweight kids to join and engage in sports. GPYW should prioritize these overweight kids for them to be able to join in any sports they like. What is only hindering these kids is the fear of being ridiculed and the GPYW should address to that. One of the things that they can do is to create a special session where all overweight children can join. The session will be a good place for them to learn sports as well as to get more time in bonding with fellow children instead of spending the whole day surfing the internet, playing computer games or watching TV at home.?Instead of focusing more on literacy and numeracy, the Ministry of Education should strengthen the school’s nutrition and physical activities. They should introduce various types of sports to encourage students at all levels to become physically active in and out of the school. They also need to improve physical education teachers skills in various types of sports. Furthermore, they should raise awareness and knowledge of the benefits of sports participation among students and maximize the number of hours required to participate in quality physical education and sports classes each week.?The Ministry of Higher Education should also introduce a higher level of sports training. It should establish a system that will help identify athletes and provide them with the necessary tools, training and resources to excel in their chosen field of sports.?For primary and secondary education, it will also be helpful to implement a rewards system in schools which have higher ratings in physical education. Many countries, particularly the US, have an educational system where schools that excel in math and reading are provided with incentives such as additional funding. The same system can be implemented here in Saudi Arabia in the area of physical education. In order for schools to implement a physical education curricula, they need to be encouraged through a rewards system.?

All of us can contribute something to eliminate the threat of obesity. We can make Saudi Arabia a better nation where healthy people live and where prosperity lingers on for many generations to come.