The capital city Riyadh hosted the launch of the “SAHEM” program, a distinguished national initiative aimed at addressing and controlling obesity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The inaugural meeting was held at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh, with the presence of leading health officials, healthcare practitioners, and media representatives.
The “SAHEM” program aims to spotlight obesity as a chronic disease that requires an integrated medical approach—moving beyond traditional perceptions based on individual blame. The program seeks to build a comprehensive health system that promotes prevention, early diagnosis, and the provision of effective, evidence-based treatment options, in parallel with sustainable community awareness efforts.
The meeting witnessed broad participation from journalists across various media outlets, in addition to several distinguished speakers, including Professor Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sheikh, Dr. Saud Al-Safri, and Dr. Ali Al-Shehri.
Dr. Saud Al-Safri, Consultant of Internal Medicine and Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes Departments at the Armed Forces Hospitals in Al-Hada, emphasized that the “SAHEM” program serves as a national initiative to gather insights from healthcare practitioners—particularly primary care and family physicians—aiming to identify the challenges they face when dealing with obesity patients and to determine their training needs. This is intended to support the development of specialized training programs tailored to real-world practice, based on survey findings.
He added that obesity is a chronic condition that necessitates multifaceted interventions, including prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. Therefore, it is essential to qualify and train healthcare professionals in the latest diagnostic and therapeutic standards to ensure unified, evidence-based practices.
During the event, the program’s implementation plan was presented, encompassing several key pillars. Among them: launching field activities and public awareness campaigns targeting the general population in schools, workplaces, and shopping centres in collaboration with public and private entities; as well as organizing workshops and training sessions for physicians, nutritionists, and nurses to ensure standardized treatment practices in accordance with the latest global guidelines. The program also includes the development of multi-channel educational content to be produced and disseminated in partnership with media outlets to ensure the widest possible reach of awareness messages.
Speakers affirmed that the program aligns with the Saudi Vision 2030 goals , as to enhance the quality of life, promote public health, and reduce the burden of chronic diseases. They also stressed on the critical role of media as a strategic partner in correcting misconceptions about obesity and reintroducing it as a health issue that deserves collective scientific and societal efforts, through the dissemination of awareness messages in a scientific and humane manner.
The event concluded with a set of recommendations underscoring the importance of collaboration among regulatory bodies, scientific associations, healthcare professionals, and media organizations to establish a successful national model for combating obesity and mitigating its health and economic impacts.
