Obesity in Saudi Arabia Revised

Obesity in Saudi Arabia
Name
Institution
Abstract
Obesity is one of the most worrying public health problems in Saudi Arabia. That is why the discourse about this concerning health problem is now important more than ever. It is essential for the Saudi people to relook into their sociocultural provisions which might have proliferated this problem. Just as in many countries in the Middle East, the rates of people suffering from obesity and its related health complications such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease are constantly soaring. Many people, starting from children to adults, are suffering from this worrying health problem. Drawing from these worrying impacts, this paper, therefore, looks at the main contributors to the soaring rates of obesity in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi, obesity can mainly be attributed to sociocultural beliefs. The Saudis believe that being overweight or obese is a sign of prestige, class, and wealth. Many people believe that for one to be respected in the society, they have to be relatively big. Such beliefs have significantly contributed to the obesity problem among men. With regards to women, men in Saudi like their women overweight. This has made them deter their women from engaging in healthy living. Women are not allowed to exercise because of the cultural taboos attached physical activity. In fact, there are no women gyms in Saudi. Laziness and cheap means of transport also contribute to this problem. It is, thus, such beliefs that…