Obesity Affects More Than 1 Billion Around the World

More than a billion individuals worldwide, encompassing children, adolescents, and adults, grapple with obesity. Disturbingly, obesity rates among the younger population have surged fourfold from 1990 to 2022.

The findings, a result of collaboration between the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization (WHO), reveal that obesity rates nearly tripled in adult men and more than doubled in women during this timeframe. Concurrently, the prevalence of being underweight has dwindled, establishing obesity as the prevailing form of malnutrition in various regions.

Methodology

- A comprehensive global analysis evaluated 3663 population-based studies across 200 countries, involving data from 222 million participants. Categories based on Body Mass Index (BMI) were applied to adults (20 years and older) and school-aged children and adolescents (5-19 years) from 1990 to 2022.
- Adult assessments focused on individual and combined underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) prevalence. School-aged evaluations considered thinness (BMI < 2 SD below WHO growth reference median) and obesity (BMI > 2 SD above the median).

Key Findings

- Over the study period, the combined prevalence of obesity and underweight increased in most countries for both women (81%) and men (70%). This rise was predominantly driven by escalating obesity rates globally, while underweight or thinness rates declined.
- In 2022, obesity outweighed underweight prevalence in 89% of countries for women and 73% for men. Among school-aged children, obesity surpassed thinness prevalence in 67% of countries for girls and 63% for boys.
- The highest combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in 2022 was observed in island nations, the Caribbean, Polynesia, Micronesia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Conclusion

The alarming shift in obesity from adults to school-aged children and adolescents is a cause for concern. Senior author Majid Ezzati underscores the urgency to enhance the accessibility and affordability of nutritious foods to effectively combat both forms of malnutrition. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasizes the importance of preventing and managing obesity from early life, urging collaborative efforts from governments, communities, and the private sector.

Source:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02750-2/fulltext.