Qatar’s Sidra Medicine Advances Pediatric Obesity Care

Sidra Medicine in Qatar is providing specialized, individualized treatment programs for children struggling with obesity. The hospital addresses childhood obesity not as a lifestyle issue, but as a complex medical condition needing coordinated care.

Qatar has seen rising rates of childhood obesity linked to economic development, lifestyle changes, and decreased physical activity, reaching 17.9% among children aged 5 to 10 and 27.5% among adolescents aged 11 to 18. Sidra Medicine takes a holistic approach, integrating medical, psychological, behavioral, and social factors into treatment plans.

Specialists from endocrinology, adolescent medicine, mental health, nutrition, and general pediatrics collaborate to improve metabolic function, fitness, and wellbeing. The hospital recently treated a rare case of acquired hypothalamic obesity, publishing findings in Frontiers in Endocrinology and launched Qatar’s first comprehensive adolescent eating disorders clinic in 2025. Sidra Medicine aims to address the long-term health risks associated with childhood obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.