Global obesity ‘epidemic’ surges, impacting over 1 billion: Study finds

A recent study published in the Lancet medical journal reveals a dramatic increase in global obesity rates, with the number of people affected surpassing one billion. This significant rise, identified in collaboration with the World Health Organization, marks a more than fourfold increase since 1990, escalating from 226 million to 1,038 million individuals in 2022.

Released just before World Obesity Day on March 4, the study underscores an obesity “epidemic” that is disproportionately impacting lower-income countries and notes a more rapid growth in obesity rates among children and adolescents than adults. This surge in obesity figures to over one billion was not anticipated until 2030, indicating a faster-than-expected rise in global obesity levels, according to Francesco Branca, the WHO’s director of nutrition for health.

The Lancet’s findings are based on the analysis of weight and height data from over 220 million individuals across more than 190 countries. The analysis estimated that, in 2022, there were 504 million obese adult women, 374 million men, and 159 million children. This represents a more than threefold increase in obesity among men, a twofold increase among women, and a fivefold increase among children since 1990.

Poor dietary habits are primarily blamed for this alarming trend, with experts criticizing the rapid and detrimental transformation of global food systems. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the critical need for early prevention and management of obesity through improved diet, physical activity, and necessary healthcare.

Obesity is linked to a heightened risk of mortality from heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and an increased vulnerability to coronavirus-related death. The study also shifts the narrative on obesity, which was once considered a problem exclusive to affluent nations, to a global issue. The most affected regions include Polynesia and Micronesia, the Caribbean, and parts of the Middle East and North Africa, highlighting the widespread nature of the obesity epidemic.