Amman, March 3 (Petra) -- With World Obesity Day coinciding this year with Ramadan, fasting can provide a practical window to adopt healthier routines that may support weight loss among people living with obesity or overweight, as well as quitting tobacco in all its forms, another major health risk, the Higher Population Council (HPC) said.
In a media brief issued for World Obesity Day, which falls on March 4, the HPC said overweight and obesity are measured using body mass index (BMI), calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. A BMI of 25 to 29 indicates overweight, while 30 or higher indicates obesity.
Citing the Global Nutrition Report 2024, the brief said obesity is among Jordan’s most significant public health challenges, with high prevalence rates compared with regional levels. It reported that about 46% of adult women and 32% of adult men in Jordan live with obesity, while around 60% of adults have overweight and/or obesity, placing substantial pressure on the national health system.
The brief said Jordan’s 2023 Population and Family Health Survey aligns with global findings, showing elevated obesity and/or overweight among women of reproductive age. The rate was 35.4% among females aged 15 to 19, rising to 64.1% among women aged 20 to 49, and reaching 83.6% among those aged 40 to 49, indicating increasing health risks across age groups.
Among children, obesity prevalence was reported at 10% for children whose mothers have obesity or overweight, compared with 5% for children of mothers with normal weight and 4% for children of underweight mothers. The brief also cited a clear socioeconomic gradient, with child obesity rising from 7% in the lowest welfare segment to 13% in the highest.
The 2026 World Obesity Day theme calls for recognizing obesity as a chronic disease requiring comprehensive understanding and multi-level, systematic interventions, rather than framing it as a personal choice or lack of willpower, the brief said. It noted that obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, and some cancers, and may affect mental health through outcomes such as depression and low self-esteem. It can also have implications for fertility and sexual and reproductive health for both women and men.
In the Jordanian context, the brief said higher obesity rates are also linked to socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, including urbanization, lower physical activity, the spread of calorie-dense foods, and contemporary work patterns. It added that rising obesity has coincided with increased noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, reinforcing obesity as a key determinant of population health rather than an isolated condition.
The brief also cited published global studies indicating that obesity can contribute to environmental and climate impacts through higher food consumption, increased metabolic demands, and greater reliance on motorized transport, factors associated with higher greenhouse gas emissions.
The HPC said obesity poses a challenge extending beyond the health sector to social and development dimensions, affecting economic productivity, health care costs, and quality of life. It added that institutions involved in population and health policy, including the council, support integrating nutrition and health priorities into national sustainable development strategies by linking health indicators to demographic context, promoting cross-sector coordination, and advancing evidence-based policies that account for differences by age, sex, geography, and economic status.
The brief said the data underscores the need for health policy to shift from focusing mainly on individual responsibility to addressing structural factors that shape choices and health behaviors, stressing that progress on obesity depends on improving the social, economic, and environmental conditions that influence health patterns in Jordan, alongside promoting healthy lifestyles and raising awareness of risks and prevention.
//Petra// AO
