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Abstract
Adolescent obesity is one of the most serious problems facing the developed world. It is damaging to the medical and psychological well-being of adolescent, and casts a shadow on their future health as adults, leading to serious illness and ultimately premature death.
The high prevalence of overweight and obesity in all regions of Saudi Arabia, especially among females. The rapid change of social and economical state through the last three decades had may be a reflection of the effects of food habits, lifestyle and climate. There is a high consumption of high calorie food ; the lifestyle is quite sedentary, as a result of advances in technology and the modern way of living, especially for female, most of the time is spent indoors. Sports and other activities are undertaken by a very small proportion of the population and physical activities are limited. socializing is frequent and people gather for meals that are high in carbohydrates and fat, e.g. meals composed of rice with whole lamb. the climate is generally hot in most regions and does not encourage individuals to indulge in many physical activities: vehicles are used for even short distance travel. These factors may be important in the etiology of obesity.
Weight management in adolescence is one of the most difficult challenges faced by health care professionals who cannot change the environment which leads to the weight problems in the first place. Only the government, retail, advertising industry, schools, planners and other authorities can do that. Sweets and chocolates still appear at supermarket check-outs, fast food outlets still sell vast portions of cheap, unhealthy food at all times of day and night on every street corner. Many schools still provide inappropriate meals and too little physical activity for their students; many food and drink companies still use sports and entertainment idols to flog their wares, thereby putting enormous pressure on children to obey what is already a powerful instinct; to eat more and more.