Background: The remarkable socioeconomic changes in United Arab Emirates (UAE) necessitate regular monitoring of obesity in our population. This study explored the epidemiology of obesity in a large cohort of UAE students.
Methods: This population-based study investigated the prevalence of obesity in 44,942 students attending governmental schools in Ras Al-Khaimah. Body-mass-index (BMI) was calculated in 15,532 children (4-12 y) in 2013-2014, and in 29,410 children (3-18 y) in 2014-2015. The International Obesity Task Force, World Health Organization, and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reference methods were used to identify overweight, obesity, and extremely-obesity.
Results: Using CDC interpretation of BMI, from 11 to 14 y, the prevalence of BMI ≥85th percentile was 41.2%, BMI ≥95th percentile 24.3% and BMI ≥99th percentile 5.7%. Obesity increased linearly from 3 to 12 y (R2 ≥ 0.979); each year an additional 2.36% of the students became obese and 0.28% became extremely obese. The rate of extreme-obesity was 9.6-fold higher in boys than girls (0.58% vs. 0.06%). From 15 to 18 y, 10.3% of boys were extremely obese and 3.0% of girls were extremely obese.
Conclusions: These results confirm a steady rise in obesity in children 3-18 y. The rising rate of extreme obesity is also alarming, especially among boys.
Keywords: Adolescents; extreme obesity; obesity; overweight; school children.