Campaigners urge ambitious global intervention with 25% of people expected to be clinically obese in 12 years.
By 2035, it is predicted that more than half of the world’s population would be overweight or obese if nothing is done to reverse this trend.
Half Of World Will Be Obese By 2035
In its 2023 atlas, the Global Obesity Federation predicts that 51% of the global population, or more than 4 billion people, would be fat or overweight within the next 12 years.
The survey indicated that obesity rates are rising more rapidly among youngsters and in nations with poorer incomes. Louise Baur, the head of the Global Obesity Federation, stated in a statement that politicians must act swiftly to avoid the issue from worsening.
According to the International Obesity Federation, Baur is a Sydney, Australia-based academic doctor. It is especially concerning to see childhood and teenage obesity rates climbing the most, she said in a statement.
Governments and policymakers around the world must do all possible to prevent passing on health, social, and economic costs to future generations, she added.
According to its website, the Global Obesity Federation, formerly known as the International Association for the Study of Obesity and the International Obesity Task Force, is the only global organization that focuses solely on obesity.
Global Obesity represents stakeholders in high-, middle-, and low-income nations, including experts, advocates, patients, and practitioners, the organization explained its mission.
It has formal consultative status with the World Health Organization (WHO), as granted by the World Health Assembly. The latest analysis indicated that youth obesity might more than double from 2020 levels to 208 million boys and 175 million girls by 2035, according to the findings of the organization.
As reported by Reuters, the report also stated that the cost to society will be substantial due to the health problems associated with obesity. By 2035, this expense will exceed $4 trillion yearly or 3% of the world’s GDP.
The authors emphasized that they are not assigning blame, but rather are “urging a focus on the cultural, environmental, and biological elements involved in the situations.
Body mass index (BMI) was used for evaluations in the report. BMI uses weight and height to define a person as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.
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Asia, Teenagers To See Highest Rise
In accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, a BMI of 25 or above indicates overweight, while a BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity. 38% of the world’s population, or 2,6 billion people in 2020, fell into these categories.
The survey also indicated that almost all of the countries that are anticipated to experience the highest increases in obesity among their populations in the next years are low- or middle-income Asian and African nations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2017 and 2020, around 20% of American children between the ages of 2 and 19 were obese (CDC).
Obesity, if left untreated, can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and other chronic illnesses.
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