Obesity impact at high levels in Saudi Arabia – Study

Obesity is costing Saudi Arabia $19 billion per year, and that figure could skyrocket by 2060 if the issue is not addressed.

Of the countries studied, the World Obesity Federation and RTI International study found that the highest impact as a percentage of GDP is in Saudi Arabia, which has an obesity rate of around 35 percent. It also warned that if “urgent action” is not taken, “the economic impact in Saudi Arabia is projected to rise to 4.1 percent by 2060, the equivalent of US$78 billion.”

Those costs are derived from calculations based on direct expenditures such as healthcare, as well as indirect costs, including premature mortality and absenteeism from work. It was found that indirect costs account for 65 percent of total impacts.

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