More than a billion people globally are now considered obese, a condition associated with a heightened risk of numerous severe health problems, according to a new report published by The Lancet.
The report, published on Thursday revealed that obesity among adults globally has more than doubled since 1990 and has quadrupled among children and adolescents between five to 19 years of age.
It estimates that nearly 880 million adults and 159 million children lived with obesity in 2022. It also shows that 43 per cent of adults were overweight in 2022.
A senior author of the study and a professor at Imperial College London, Prof Majid Ezzati said a staggering number of people are living with obesity.
Prof Ezzati said while obesity rates are plateauing in many wealthier countries, they are rising rapidly elsewhere.
“And while being underweight is becoming less common globally, in many countries it remains a significant issue, leaving increasing numbers of countries facing what is known as the “double burden” of malnutrition,” he said.
He described the rise in obesity rates among children as “very concerning”, mirroring a trajectory seen with adults since even before 1990.
He said, hundreds of millions still do not have enough to eat.
About the study
The study was conducted by more than 1,500 researchers from the Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The findings, considered among the most authoritative of independent estimates, are based on data from more than 220 million people in more than 190 countries.
Obesity
Obesity is so prevalent it has become more common than being underweight in most nations, including many low an middle-income countries that have previously struggled with undernourishment.
WHO defines obesity “as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.
The 2024 World Obesity Atlas report also projected that the number of adults living with obesity will rise from 0.81 billion in 2020 to 1.53 billion in 2035 if no significant action is taken.
Implementing measures
In a statement on the research, WHO said countries with the highest combined rates of underweight and obesity in 2022 were island nations in the Pacific and the Caribbean and those in the Middle East and North Africa.
The global health body noted that undernutrition is responsible for half of the deaths of children under five and obesity can cause noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the study highlights the importance of preventing and managing obesity from early life to adulthood, through diet, physical activity, and adequate care, as needed.
Dr Ghebreyesus noted that combating undernutrition requires collaboration across various sectors including agriculture, social protection, and healthcare.
“It requires the co-operation of the private sector, which must be accountable for the health impacts of their products,” he said.
The Director of WHO’s Nutrition and Food Safety Department and co-author of the study, Francesco Branca, noted some of the challenges encountered in the implementation of policies to harness the situation.
Mrs Branca said there are significant challenges in implementing policies aimed at ensuring affordable access to healthy diets for all and creating environments that promote physical activity and overall healthy lifestyles for everyone.
“Countries should also ensure that health systems integrate the prevention and management of obesity into the basic package of services,” she said.
The study emphasizes crucial interventions and strategies essential in tackling obesity. These include fostering healthy practices from infancy, with an emphasis on promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding.
Additionally, recommendations extend to regulations addressing the detrimental marketing of food and beverages targeting children.
The study also advocates for comprehensive school food and nutrition policies, incorporating initiatives to control the proximity of schools to products high in fats, sugars, and salt, among other key measures.