Diabetes and obesity, once considered diseases solely of high-income settings, are now a global epidemic.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is caused by an ineffective use of insulin by the body (insulin resistance), and usually requires management with lifelong medication and/or insulin. Diabetes is associated with many other health problems, including cardiovascular disease, blindness, nerve damage, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation. Unfortunately, only half of people who have diabetes are aware that they have the disease. Type 2 diabetes has long been recognized as a chronic disease affecting older populations. However, this disease, which was once known as “adult onset diabetes,” is now affecting young adults and children.
In 2014, 9% of the world’s population had diabetes, and an estimated 5.1 million deaths were caused by diabetes in 2013. The Middle East/North Africa region has the highest rates of adult diabetes worldwide. Saudi Arabia is among the countries with the highest diabetes prevalence globally, with diabetes affecting 21% of its population in 2014. Several other countries in the Center's region have concerning rates of diabetes as well: in Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, and Sudan, diabetes affects at least 15% of the population. In the United Arab Emirates, around 10% of the population, representing over 1 million people, has diabetes.
Obesity
Obesity increases a person’s risk of hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and death. The causes of obesity are varied: genetics, diet, community environment and physical activity can all contribute.
Globally, around 13% of adults, or more than 600 million people, were obese in 2014. However, over 30% of the adult population is obese in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar; this corresponds to over 3 million obese adults in the United Arab Emirates alone. Among countries in the Center’s region, the highest rates of child obesity are observed in Kazakhstan, Syria, and Tajikistan, where more than 15% of people aged 2–19 are obese.