THE PUBLIC HEALTH BURDEN OF PHYSICAL INACTIVITY IN SAUDI ARABIA

Because of the enormous changes in the lifestyle of Saudis in the last three decades, the risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD), including physical inactivity, are increasingly becoming prevalent in the society. This paper provides an overview of the importance of physical activity in health promotion and disease prevention, and discusses the public health burden of physical inactivity in Saudi Arabia. Available evidence clearly indicates that physical inactivity is extremely prevalent in the different ages and sex of the Saudi population. This high prevalence of inactivity in Saudi society presents a major public health burden, as evidenced by the high risk in the Saudi population as a risk of physical inactivity compared with the populations of United States and the United Kingdom. Unless concrete steps are taken to reduce physical inactivity in the Saudi population, the future public health cost would be enormous. It is well known that physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits and plays a major role in modifying many other CHD risk factors. Finally, several recommendations for reducing physical inactivity and promoting active life in the Saudi population have been discussed.