Over 1 billion adults and children are now considered obese across the globe according to a new study. .
Nearly 880 million adults now are living with obesity, as well as 159 million children, according to the report published Feb. 29 in The Lancet journal.
In the United States, obesity has also increased, the study reports:
- About 44% of women (up from 21%) and 42% of men (up from 17%) are now obese compared to 1990.
- Over 19% of girls and 21.7% of boys are obese, up from 11.6% and 11.5% twenty years ago.
World Obesity Day – A Time to Reflect
The new study was published in time for World Obesity Day on March 4. This day is considered an opportunity to reflect and support ways to help people reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Obesity is a public health challenge on a global level and a major indicator of disability and death.
The report reveals that obesity rates for kids and teenagers quadrupled worldwide between 1990 and 2022, rising from 1.7% to 6.9% for girls and 2.1% to 9.3% for boys.
Meanwhile, adult obesity rates more than doubled during the same period, researchers found. Obesity increased more than twofold in women (8.8% to 18.5%) and nearly tripled in men (4.8% to 14%).
A Sharp Increase in Obesity for All Ages
These numbers outpace estimates made by the World Obesity Federation, which had predicted that 1 billion people would be living with obesity by 2030 in its World Obesity Atlas 2022.
The biggest concern is that obesity seen in adults is now being seen in school-aged children and teens, according to a senior study author, Majid Ezzatti, Chair of Global Environmental Health at Imperial College in London.
“This new study highlights the importance of preventing and managing obesity from early life to adulthood, through diet, physical activity and adequate care, as needed,” said World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
A Global Concern
Obesity is now the most common form of malnutrition in most countries, researchers said.
The study looked at the body mass index for over 220 million people in over 190 countries.
Factors that drive obesity include genetics, access to health care and overconsumption of calorie-dense foods that provide very little nutrition or essential nutrients.
The United States rates 10th highest in the world for obesity in men and 36th in obesity for women. In the US, girls rank 22nd and boys rank 26th among other nations.
Future Concerns
Experts are concerned that global politics and climate change will cause price increases and food shortages that will deepen the crisis.
New medications such as zepbound, wegovy are showing record breaking sales and results, but they are not affordable options for most people including in the US and abroad.
As Guha Pradeepa, from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, reminds us, “To create a healthier world, we need comprehensive policies to address these challenges.”
For more information, check out the World Obesity Foundation.
Image by Racool_studio on Freepik
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