Overweight, obesity, diet and physical activity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The UAE has undergone remarkable socio‐economic transformations over the past few decades, but there are limited nationally representative estimates on the nutritional situation of Emiratis. A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 628 randomly‐selected households in all 7 emirates. Information on socio‐demographics, measured anthropometry, 24‐hour dietary recall, and physical activities were collected from adult females (≥19y), adolescents (11–18y) and children (6–10y) in each family via in‐person interviews using validated questionnaires. We found that in 2009/10, 65% of adult women, 28% of male adolescent, 40% of female adolescents, 25% of male children and 41% of female children were overweight or obese. 43% of girls, 38% of boys (6–10y) consumed more calories than needed, and snacking represents a major source of caloric intake (>20% of total). In addition, caloric beverages account for 8–14% of total calories, mostly from sugar sweetened drinks. Meanwhile, physical activity levels are low, especially among females Emiratis and urban dwellers. There is a potential for severe cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in the UAE. More attention is needed to educate the public on nutrition (e.g., discourage whole milk in favor of low‐fat milk) and encourage physical activity from a young age and especially among females. This work is supported by the United Arab Emirates Environmental Agency‐Abu Dhabi.