Impact of Obesity on Individuals in Saudi Arabia: A Real-World Patient and Physician Survey

Approximately one fifth of the population of Saudi Arabia had obesity in 2019. Due to the considerable personal and societal cost of obesity in Saudi Arabia, a national initiative to reduce the prevalence of obesity is underway. This study describes the characteristics of people with obesity (PwO) and the impact of obesity on spending, work productivity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Saudi Arabia to help further advance the management of overweight and obesity in this country. Data were from the multinational cross-sectional survey Adelphi Obesity Disease Specific Programme™. Physicians responsible for obesity management decisions completed online questionnaires for up to five consecutive qualifying adult PwO attending their clinic. PwO with physician-completed forms were invited to complete a separate questionnaire. Analyses were descriptive. Overall, 40 physicians provided physician-completed forms for 200 PwO; of these, 90 PwO completed a self-report form. For the 200 PwO, mean time since diagnosis was 23.0 months. A mean of 1.6 comorbidities were reported, most commonly hypothyroidism, depression and type 2 diabetes. Current weight loss approaches included diet, exercise and medication. Other than weight loss, improving HRQoL of PwO was the most common goal reported by physicians (for 70.0% of PwO). PwO self-reported a negative impact of obesity on household income, work productivity and HRQoL. Our data support findings of the notable impact of obesity on the HRQoL and work productivity of PwO in Saudi Arabia. Greater awareness of this impact may inform healthcare policies to improve future obesity management. Obesity is an increasingly common disease that affects many people in Saudi Arabia. Obesity and its associated disorders negatively impact a person’s health and quality of life (QoL). To improve the medical care of people with overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia, more information specific to Saudi Arabia is needed. Our study describes people with obesity (PwO) in Saudi Arabia and the impact of obesity on their household spending, work lives, and QoL. We used information from questionnaires, available in English and Saudi Arabia Arabic, completed by doctors and PwO. A total of 40 doctors provided information on 200 PwO, and 90 PwO provided answers to their own questionnaires. At the time of data collection, most PwO (54.5%) were working full time and, among the 46 PwO (23.0%) who were working part time, unemployed or retired, 30.4% were doing so because of obesity. PwO often had at least one other disease. The family doctor most often initiated discussions around current obesity management plans and began these plans (usually involving diet, exercise and medication). Other than weight loss, improving the QoL of PwO was the most common goal reported by physicians. Weight- and obesity-related health conditions were associated with high household medication costs and had negative effects on work productivity and QoL. This study suggests a negative impact of obesity on the general health, QoL and work productivity of PwO in Saudi Arabia. Increasing awareness of this impact may lead to improvements in medical care for PwO in Saudi Arabia.