In a significant and alarming revelation, an analysis published Thursday in the esteemed journal The Lancet has unveiled that over a billion individuals, spanning children, adolescents, and adults globally, are grappling with obesity.
This data, which marks obesity as the most prevalent form of malnutrition in numerous countries, has emerged earlier than anticipated, catching experts off guard.
Obesity Crisis Accelerates Globally
Dr. Majid Ezzati, senior author of the analysis and professor at Imperial College London, expressed profound concern over the rapid transition from underweight to obesity, particularly in low-income and middle-income nations.
"We've really been taken aback by how fast things have happened," remarked Dr. Ezzati during a news conference.
Previous projections by the World Obesity Federation suggested that the 1 billion mark for obesity would be reached by 2030. However, Dr. Ezzati revealed that this milestone was surpassed as early as 2022.
"What this shows is that this transition is very rapid. We cannot wait to get rid of underweight to deal with obesity," emphasized Dr. Ezzati.
The comprehensive global analysis, conducted by a collaboration of over 1,500 researchers from the Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization (WHO), scrutinized height and weight measurements of more than 220 million individuals hailing from over 190 countries.
The researchers categorized adults as obese if their Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeded or equaled 30, while children and adolescents were classified based on age and sex criteria.
The analysis unearthed staggering statistics, estimating that nearly 880 million adults and 159 million children were living with obesity in 2022.
It also unveiled that obesity rates surged fourfold among children and adolescents globally between 1990 and 2022, with rates among adults increasing by over twofold.
Moreover, the transition from underweight to obesity has been most pronounced in low-income and middle-income countries, with several regions now surpassing wealthy industrialized nations in obesity prevalence.
Ezzati was surprised to find that, except for the United States, none of the prosperous industrialized nations ranked highest for countries with the highest prevalence of obesity in 2022.
Countries like Tonga, American Samoa, and Nauru registered the highest prevalence of obesity, surpassing the 60% mark in adult populations.
Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of the WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, stressed the intertwined nature of undernutrition and obesity, attributing both to the deficiency in access to a healthy diet.
"Undernutrition and obesity are two faces of the same problem, which is the lack of access to a healthy diet," Dr. Branca highlighted.
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WHO Urges Comprehensive Policy Measures to Address Obesity
Branca advocates for multifaceted policy interventions, including promoting breastfeeding, regulating food marketing targeting children, providing nutritious food in public institutions like schools, and taxing sugary beverages.
Additionally, investment in primary health care, urban design, and agricultural reform are deemed essential to combat both undernutrition and obesity effectively.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, underscored the urgent need for concerted efforts from governments, communities, and the private sector to combat the escalating obesity crisis.
"Getting back on track to meet the global targets for curbing obesity will take the work of governments and communities, supported by evidence-based policies," emphasized Dr. Tedros.
Despite the gravity of the situation, experts have highlighted encouraging policy changes worldwide that have yielded positive outcomes.
Nations like France, South American countries, and Mexico have implemented strategies ranging from nutritional programs to taxation of unhealthy products, yielding promising results.
The global obesity epidemic demands urgent and decisive action on multiple fronts to safeguard public health and ensure equitable access to nutritious food worldwide. Failure to address this crisis comprehensively could lead to dire consequences for individuals, communities, and societies at large.
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