The Rise of Eating Disorders in Saudi Arabia

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Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that usually develop during adolescence. Eating disorders harm a young person’s physical and mental health and well-being and are linked to depression, anxiety, and early mortality.

While eating disorders used to be considered a Western phenomenon, they have now become a global health crisis. Many experts link the rise of eating disorders in other parts of the world to a spread in Western values and a ‘thin’ beauty ideal, underpinning body satisfaction and other core elements of eating disorder pathology. Equally, eating disorders in other cultures sometimes take different forms from those seen in the West, causing them to be missed or overlooked.

As with other parts of the Arab world, eating disorders have increased in Saudi Arabia in recent years. The prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours is now worryingly high, with studies showing that around 7% of Saudi adolescents and young adults have an eating disorder.

Among certain parts of the population, these figures may be much higher. For example, one study found that among a group of medical students, 32.1% had eating disorders.

This blog looks into the rise of eating disorders in Saudi Arabia and their prevalence today. It also explores the link between westernisation and eating disorders within the region as well as other risk factors for the development of the conditions.

How Common Are Eating Disorders in Saudi Arabia?

In 2023, a study on the lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders in Saudi Arabia found that 7.06% of adolescents and young adults had experienced an eating disorder at some point in their lives. 

A 2020 study among a group of young Saudi women found that 6.96% had any eating disorder, including bulimia nervosa (4.4%) and binge eating disorder (1.6%). These statistics are similar to those of Western countries.

However, some studies have found that rates among certain groups are much higher. In a study with 13-18-year-old adolescent girls, 53.6% were considered to have an eating disorder. A study among medical students found that 32.1% had eating disorders, while another study among a group of young Saudi women found that 35% had eating disorder pathology.

Research across the Arab region as a whole has found that 13-55% of people were at a high risk of an eating disorder. Adolescents and females were at a higher risk than others.

What Are the Risk Factors for Eating Disorders in Saudi Arabia?

There’s no one single cause of eating disorders. Often, different factors combine as eating disorders develop, including biological causes (like character traits) and environmental influences (like family dynamics and social pressures).

Research in Western countries has established certain risk factors that make the development of eating disorders more likely. These include perfectionist traits, body image concerns, and experiences of trauma.

In Saudi Arabia, studies have also identified certain factors that are associated with eating disorders. These include:

Family Influence

One study found that around 45% of adolescent girls experienced pressure from their families to change their body shape, including to lose weight. This pressure made them more likely to develop eating disorders than others. 

Gender

Research has found that females are more likely to develop eating disorders than males (although not exclusively). This pattern also reflects those of Western countries, where eating disorders among males, while increasing, are still less than among females.

Body-Dissatisfaction

Research has found that body dissatisfaction is associated with disordered eating attitudes and behaviours among young Saudi women. When young people experience body dissatisfaction, they may start to use disordered eating behaviours to try and change their body shape. This can develop into an eating disorder.

Affluence and Media Use

Studies in the Arab region have found that affluence and media influence are associated with a desire to be thin, an attitude that can underpin disordered eating behaviours. In the Arab region, both affluence and media use may increase a young person’s exposure to Western beauty ideals about thinness.

Is Westernisation Responsible for the Rise of Eating Disorders in Saudi Arabia?

Some experts suggest that one of the main reasons for the rise of eating disorders in Saudi Arabia is the spread of Western values across the region.

In the past decades, Saudi Arabia has undergone a process of Westernisation: when societies begin to adopt some of the political and social values – and ways of life – of the ‘West.’ Westernisation can happen in different ways, such as the proliferation of Western media, the introduction of Western companies, and changes in political and legal structures.

As Western influence spreads across a country, people begin to internalise Western values. This usually happens first among more affluent, urban, and educated groups who have more exposure to these values. Western beauty ideals, including the ‘desire to be thin,’ are among those internalised.

A 2020 study explored to link between the internalisation of Western values and eating disorders and body dissatisfaction among young women in Saudi Arabia. They found that the internalisation of Western values (particularly cultural and media values) was linked to eating disorder pathology, body image, and co-occurring mental health symptoms (like anxiety or depression). However, it was not linked to binge eating or low self-esteem.

Still, researchers noticed some key differences between eating disorders in Saudi Arabia and the West. Eating disorders in Saudi Arabia were more likely to be of a binging-purging form than restrictive eating, with rates of anorexia relatively low.

On the other hand, some research failed to find a significant link between Westernisation and eating disorders (or the type of eating disorder) in Saudi Arabia. This suggests that the rise of eating disorders may be more complicated than a simple process of Westernisation. More research is needed to better understand the causes of Saudi’s new generation of mental health crises.

Treating Eating Disorders Among Adolescents

Eating disorders are severe – yet familiar – mental health conditions. However, with the proper support, young people can recover from eating disorders and enjoy a healthy and fulfilling future.

There are several different evidence-based treatments available for adolescents and young adults with eating disorders. These include:

  • Family-based therapy (FBT)
  • Enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-e)
  • Integrated trauma therapy

Eating disorders are complex conditions that vary from one young person to another. Each young person needs to find the most suitable treatment for them – and sometimes, they may need to try more than one approach. When young people have experienced trauma, treatment programs should sensitively and carefully address their experiences from the start of treatment, enabling meaningful and long-lasting healing.

The Wave Clinic: Specialists in Eating Disorders

The Wave Clinic offers specialist mental health treatment spaces for children, adolescents, and young adults. Our programs make a difference in the lives of young people, supporting them to recover from mental health disorders and build fulfilling futures.

We’re a Global Centre of Excellence for treating eating disorders, drawing on expertise from around the world to provide a diverse range of evidence-based modalities. We prioritise the treatment of trauma from the start of our programs, addressing the underlying causes of harmful attitudes and behaviours. At our residential space, all our staff (including support staff and chefs) have a comprehensive understanding of eating disorders and how to approach and interact with young people.

If you’d like to find out more about our programs, get in touch today. We’re here to make a difference.

Fiona - The Wave Clinic

Fiona Yassin is the founder and clinical director at The Wave Clinic. She is a U.K. and International registered Psychotherapist and Accredited Clinical Supervisor (U.K. and UNCG).

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