Vinkaj: Obesity is a health concern the world over, and one that's like so much of the population getting bigger. Vinkaj: In 20 19 of the 11 countries with the highest share of deaths attributed to obesity rates, eight of those countries were arab. The middle east has the biggest gap between men and women when it comes to ob city rates. So in the region, 26 % of women are obese, compared with just 16 percent of men.