More than one billion people around the world are now obese, and the proportion of children has quadrupled in 32 years, according to new research.
Analyzing the weight and height measurements of over 220 million people in over 190 countries reveals how body mass index (BMI) has changed around the world between 1990 and 2022 .
Approximately 1,500 researchers contributed to the study, which is part of the NCD Risk Factors Collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).was announced on lancetfound that obesity rates increased fourfold in children and twofold in adults over that period.
Obesity rates among girls around the world increased from 1.7% of the world’s population in 1990 to 6.9% in 2022. For boys, obesity rates increased from 2.1% to 9.3% over the same period.
Obesity in adults is defined as a BMI of 30 kg/m3 or higher.2.
Over the same period, global obesity rates among women increased from 8.8% to 18.5%, and among men from 4.8% to 14%. At the same time, the proportion of people who were underweight among both children and adults decreased. This means that obesity is the most common form of malnutrition in many countries around the world.
The proportion of children and adolescents worldwide who are underweight has fallen by around one-fifth among girls and by more than one-third among boys, while the proportion of adults worldwide affected by underweight has fallen by more than half over the same period. Did.
In 2022, a total of 880 million adults and 159 million children will be living with obesity. Tonga, American Samoa and Nauru were the countries with the highest obesity rates, at more than 60%.
The UK ranks 87th in the world for obesity rates among women and 55th among men.
Professor Majid Ezzati, senior author of the study, said the obesity epidemic, which was evident among adults in many parts of the world in 1990, is now being reflected in school-age children and adolescents. “This is extremely worrying,” he said.
“At the same time, hundreds of millions of people remain affected by undernourishment, especially in some of the world’s poorest regions. Successfully addressing both forms of malnutrition requires a healthy and nutritious diet.” Significantly improving food availability and affordability is essential.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said: “Governments and local communities, supported by evidence-based policies from WHO and national public health agencies, need to be able to get back on track to achieving global obesity goals.” Efforts are needed.”
“Importantly, we need the cooperation of the private sector, and the private sector must be held accountable for the health impacts of its products.”
Professor Simon Kenny, NHS England’s national clinical lead for children and young people, said: ‘These figures will be as worrying for parents as they are for the NHS.
“Obesity has a huge impact on children’s lives from an early age because it affects every organ system in the human body, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, mental health problems, and many other diseases, and shortening lifespans.” You may become more unhappy.”
“The NHS is committed to helping as many young people and families affected by extreme weight problems as possible through a new network of 30 specialist clinics providing a tailored package of physical, psychological and social support. However, the NHS cannot solve this problem alone: continued collaborative action by industry and wider society is needed to avert a ticking health time bomb into the future. .”
