Obesity Abstracts

Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has one of the highest prevalence rates of obesity in the Middle East at 33%. There is a paralleled rise in the incidence of related metabolic conditions, particularly type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Through dietary, pharmaceutical, endoscopic and surgical options, multidisciplinary weight reduction programs offer a comprehensive approach to obesity management.

Aim: Study the prevalence of obesity-related diseases in a weight management program and determine the relationship to obesity anthropometric indices.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). 311 patients have been evaluated from January 2019 until September 2019 as part of a multi-disciplinary weight management program. Key demographics, anthropometrics, and clinical data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software (Version 24). Correlations were assessed by the Mann–Whitney test (significance P<0.05).

Results: 311 consecutive patients assessed as part of the weight management program were studied. 208 (67%) were female and 103 were male. The mean age was 41 (±9.6) with a median BMI of 32.7 (±7.4). Mean waist circumference was 109.4 cm (±18.5), fat percent was 45.5% (±18.7), fat mass was 41 kg (±14.6), and visceral fat was 4.2 kg (±2.9). The population was heterogeneous with 38 nationalities. In relation to associated metabolic diseases, diabetes had the highest prevalence of 20.3% (n=63/310) (3.3% type 1, 50% type 2, 46.7% pre-diabetes). Other co-morbidities were dyslipidemia at 31% (n=97/261), hypertension at 20% (n=63/311) & NAFLD at 10% (n= 34/229). BMI correlated with waist circumference (r=0.62, P<0.01) and was significantly associated with diabetes, hypertension, and NAFLD.

Conclusion: The study has confirmed the high prevalence rates of obesity-related diseases in a private hospital setting in a multinational cohort of obese patients. BMI and waist circumference are the most representative measure of obesity in our population and obesity-related diseases. Further studies will play a part in assessing the benefit of these measures during weight reduction interventions.