By 2050, nearly 60% of the world’s adults and 1/3 of its children will be overweight or obese if governments don’t take action, according to a new study.
A new study published in the Lancet medical journal estimates that without significant changes, 3.8 billion adults will be overweight or obese in 15 years, which is about 60% of the global adult population in 2050.
The researchers used data from 204 countries to paint a dire picture of overweight and obesity as one of the century’s greatest health challenges.
In 1990, there were 929 million overweight or obese people worldwide, but by 2021, that figure had risen to 2.6 billion.
According to the study, global health systems will face great pressure, and about a quarter of the world’s obese population will be over 65 years old by 2050.
The study also predicts that the number of obese children and adolescents worldwide will increase by 121%. More than a third of these young people will live in the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions.
The authors of the study say it is not too late to act and that a greater political commitment is necessary to transform diets, nutrition, physical activity, and living environments within sustainable global food systems.
The research also found that more than half of the world’s overweight or obese adults already live in just eight countries: China, India, the United States, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt.
While the underlying causes of obesity are complex and debated among researchers, studies indicate that low- and middle-income countries will bear the greatest burden of obesity in the coming decades and that only a small percentage of countries have adequate health systems to address this issue.
The issue is significant and the need for a coordinated global effort to prevent and manage overweight and obesity is increasingly urgent.
The researchers used data from 204 countries to paint a dire picture of overweight and obesity as one of the century’s greatest health challenges.
In 1990, there were 929 million overweight or obese people worldwide, but by 2021, that figure had risen to 2.6 billion.
According to the study, global health systems will face great pressure, and about a quarter of the world’s obese population will be over 65 years old by 2050.
The study also predicts that the number of obese children and adolescents worldwide will increase by 121%. More than a third of these young people will live in the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions.
The authors of the study say it is not too late to act and that a greater political commitment is necessary to transform diets, nutrition, physical activity, and living environments within sustainable global food systems.
The research also found that more than half of the world’s overweight or obese adults already live in just eight countries: China, India, the United States, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt.
While the underlying causes of obesity are complex and debated among researchers, studies indicate that low- and middle-income countries will bear the greatest burden of obesity in the coming decades and that only a small percentage of countries have adequate health systems to address this issue.
The issue is significant and the need for a coordinated global effort to prevent and manage overweight and obesity is increasingly urgent.
