Yasmin Altwaijri

Yasmin Ahmed Almubarak Altwaijri is a Senior Scientist and the Head of Epidemiology Research at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As the Head of Epidemiology Research, she studies the causes and effects of diseases and illnesses within a specific country, in her case Saudi Arabia. She studies the prevalence of conditions such as obesity and mental illness in Saudi society, and is active in advocating for social and political changes to promote better health.

Education Altwaijri studied Community Health at King Saud University in Riyadh, receiving her B.Sc. in 1992. She is considered one of the top senior scientists in the country.

Altwaijri is involved in designing and carrying out epidemiological studies of the Saudi population, with particular attention to women, children and adolescents.

Altwaijri is a Principal Investigator for the Saudi National Mental Health Survey, a broad-based investigation assessing the impact of mental illness in Saudi communities.

Obesity in Saudi Arabia

Obesity, and specifically childhood obesity, is on the rise around the world. This trend is mostly seen in developed countries, but it is also seen in developing countries, including the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe. Saudi Arabia has seen an increase in childhood obesity and one in every six children in Saudi Arabia is obese. Among the adult population, there is a prevalence of 42.4% obesity in males and 31.8% obesity in females. This rise in obesity puts a major strain on the healthcare system in Saudi Arabia as it is a risk factor for more serious diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. She was included in the BBC's 2014 list featuring 100 Women internationally.