75 percent Saudis will be obese by 2020: Study

Seventy-five percent of Saudi population will be obese by 2020 if no preventive steps are taken, a study has warned.
The research, conducted by Nasser Al-Salem Al-Qahtani, as a Ph.D. thesis at an Australian university, has focused on causes of obesity among intermediate and secondary school students in Riyadh.
According to the findings, obesity has increased by 50.6 percent among teenagers in both rural and urban areas, with urban areas accounting for 59.4 percent and rural 36.9 percent.
The researcher cited a number of factors linked to obesity and over-weight, including the presence of a driver with family, daily consumption of soft drinks, watching TV and using computers and other electronic devices.
The study shows that obesity among children is growing at an alarming rate in the Kingdom, with the figure reaching over 50 percent in 2010 as against 11 percent in 1988.
Nagwa Mousa, a medical expert, warned against the rise in obesity among new generations. Intensive awareness campaigns on risks and side-effects of obesity need to be launched, she said.
She strongly advised that strict control should be observed on the type of food and that daily physical exercises be encouraged among women and children in order to fight obesity.
Obesity problem is plaguing the world, especially developed countries, and experts have advised against limited use of junk food such as burgers and wafers, besides aeriated drinks. Lifestyle is one of the main reasons for obesity.