Doha, Qatar: According to recent data from the Qatar Biobank’s (QBB) population-based study, many participants are obese or overweight. It also said that nearly half of the participants are inactive daily, heightening their health risks.
According to data approximately 76% of the population is reported to be overweight or obese. Among them 40% of men and 31% of women are overweight, and 36% of men and 45 % of women are obese.
The flagship Cohort Study, a population-based long-term study has recruited 39,635 participants and out of which 30,570 are Qataris.
“QBB data reveals that many participants are obese or overweight. Alarmingly, nearly half are not active on a daily basis, heightening their health risks. Let’s prioritise physical activity for better health,” Qatar Biobank said on X platform, yesterday.
Qatar Biobank is making vital health research possible through its collection of biological samples and data on health and lifestyle from a large number of Qatar’s population.
The objective of the cohort study is to gather exceptional biological specimens and meticulously annotated data from individuals of Qatari nationality and long-term residents with a residence history in Qatar spanning at least 15 years, with the aim of advancing medical research. A subsequent follow-up assessment of these participants is conducted five years after their initial visit.
According to the Qatar Biobank’s 2020/2021 annual report, 30% of men and 44% of women reported doing no physical activity and 37% of men and 48% of women were recorded as being obese.
Also, data shows that more women than men have recorded having bariatric surgery. 12% of all participants in the Qatar Biobank cohort study have reported having a form of bariatric surgery. The most popular type of bariatric surgery reported is the sleeve gastrectomy with 77% of men and 76% of women who had reported bariatric surgery have had this procedure.
Of the participants who have had bariatric surgery, 47% of men and 65% of women had the surgery performed locally in Qatar.
The report also recorded that metabolic disorders are common amongst the local population. The most commonly self-reported medical conditions are high cholesterol with 31% of men and 28% of women having the condition, high blood pressure with 17% of men and 16% of women and diabetes with 16% of men and 19% of women having the condition.
