The Impact of Obesity in the UAE: Real-world Physician and Patient Perspectives

Background: Limited evidence exists on the impacts of obesity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Real-world evidence is required to support obesity-related healthcare decision-making in the UAE. Materials and Methods: The Adelphi Real World Obesity Disease Specific ProgrammeTM is a multicountry , cross-sectional survey with retrospective data capture including physicians directly involved in chronic weight management and people living with obesity (PwO) presenting to them in a real-world clinical setting. UAE data were collected between April and August 2022. Physicians completed online questionnaires reporting demographics and clinical characteristics for eligible PwO (aged ≥18 years participating in a weight management plan and/or presenting with a body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2). PwO voluntarily completed questionnaires reporting out-of-pocket costs and patient-reported outcomes: Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI), Short Form 36 v2 Health Survey (SF-36v2), Jenkins Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire ( JSEQ). Analyses were descriptive. Results: 41 physicians identified 201 PwO; 49% were male and 65% were of Middle Eastern origin. Mean age, BMI, and median time since obesity diagnosis were 39.1 years, 33.7 kg/m2, and 11.5 months, respectively. PwO (n = 84) reported a mean of 7.4% monthly household income spent on medicine for weight and weight-related health conditions. Mean WPAI was 35.3% activity impairment and 37.5% overall work impairment due to obesity. Generally, SF-36v2 scores were <47, indicating impairment, and mean JSEQ score was 3.6. Conclusion: PwO in the UAE had a high level of complications and measurable negative obesity-related impacts. These data may contribute to improving obesity awareness and management in the UAE.