64.7% of adults in Oman overweight or obese

Muscat: As many as 64.7 per cent of adults in Oman are overweight or obese, according to the findings of the National Survey on Non-Communicable Diseases and their associated risk factors for 2025.

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, conducted the national survey to assess the prevalence of non-communicable diseases and associated risk factors among the population.

The survey highlights the growing burden of excess weight as a major public health concern in Oman.

The Ministry has urged the public to adopt healthier lifestyles, emphasising that small steps towards achieving a healthy weight can make a significant difference to long-term health.

“Almost 30 percent of the Omani population is overweight, but when combined with obesity the figure exceeds 60 percent,” Dr Amira al Kharusi said during the 33rd European Congress on Obesity (ECO) held recently in Istanbul, Türkiye.

She attributed the rise to changing dietary habits, especially increased consumption of junk food, coupled with declining levels of physical activity. “You can easily see groups of children sitting idle with mobile phones in their hands and doing very little physical exercise. This is a cause for alarm because it increases their chances of becoming overweight,” she said.

According to the WHO STEPwise survey, obesity prevalence among Omani nationals was significantly higher than among non-Omani residents. The study reported obesity rates of 35.2 percent among Omanis compared with 19 percent among non-Omanis.

The findings also revealed that Omani women are disproportionately affected, with obesity prevalence reaching 40.9 percent compared with 28.2 percent among Omani men.