Obesity has become the most common form of malnutrition worldwide, affecting over 1 billion children, adolescents, and adults, according to a recent analysis published in The Lancet. This alarming statistic was reached earlier than expected, driven by the rapid transition from underweight to obesity in low-income and middle-income countries. The study, conducted by more than 1,500 researchers from the Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization (WHO), analyzed height and weight measurements of over 220 million people from 190 countries.
The analysis focused on rates of underweight and obesity, both of which have detrimental effects on people’s health. Adults were classified as obese if their body mass index (BMI) was 30 or above, while children and adolescents were defined based on age and sex criteria. The study estimates that nearly 880 million adults and 159 million children lived with obesity in 2022. Obesity rates among children and adolescents have quadrupled since 1990, while rates among adults have more than doubled.
Dr. Majid Ezzati, senior author of the analysis and professor at Imperial College London, expressed surprise at how quickly these changes have occurred. Previous estimates by the World Obesity Federation predicted that there would be 1 billion people living with obesity by 2030, but that number was already surpassed in 2022. Ezzati emphasized the need to address both underweight and obesity simultaneously, as they are two faces of the same problem: lack of access to a healthy diet.
The transition from underweight to obesity has been most evident in low-income and middle-income countries, particularly in Polynesia and Micronesia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. These regions now have higher obesity rates than many wealthy industrialized countries. The island nations of Tonga, American Samoa, and Nauru had the highest prevalence of obesity in 2022, with over 60% of the adult population affected.
Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, highlighted the need for incisive policy action to address the obesity epidemic. He emphasized that the rapid restructuring of food systems worldwide, which has not been governed by public policy, has contributed to this issue. Branca called for “double duty” policy interventions that tackle both underweight and obesity, including breastfeeding promotion, taxation of sweetened beverages, regulation of food marketing targeting children, and provision of nutritious food in public institutions like schools.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, emphasized the importance of government and community efforts supported by evidence-based policies to curb obesity. He also called for accountability from the private sector for the health impacts of their products. Branca stressed the need for improved monitoring of food manufacturers and equitable access to healthy food for all. Currently, over 3 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet.
To support these policies, WHO has partnered with other agencies like the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to release frameworks such as the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting and the Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity. Some countries have already implemented successful policy changes. France, for example, saw a plateau in its obesity rates due to its national plan called Programme National Nutrition Santé. South American countries have implemented front-of-package nutritional labeling with clear warnings about fat, sugar, and salt levels. Mexico has led the way in taxing sweetened beverages, and Chile has banned the marketing of processed foods to children.
In conclusion, obesity has become a global health crisis, affecting over 1 billion people worldwide. The rapid transition from underweight to obesity in low-income and middle-income countries has contributed to this alarming statistic. Addressing both underweight and obesity requires incisive policy action that focuses on promoting healthy diets and physical activity, implementing taxation and regulation measures, and ensuring equitable access to nutritious food. Governments, communities, and the private sector must work together to tackle this issue and improve the health and well-being of people worldwide.
