Global Health Crisis: Over 1 Billion People Worldwide Afflicted by Obesity, Including 159 Million Kids

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 01 March 2024, 02:03 pm

Recent research shows that over 1 billion people globally are obese, highlighting the global health crisis.

Researchers from NCD Risk Factor and the World Health Organization studied weight and height data from 220 million individuals in 190 countries, revealing the changes in body mass index (BMI) between 1990 and 2022, per The Guardian.

According to the study, which involved 1,500 researchers, childhood and adult obesity rates have significantly increased over the years. Global obesity rates for girls rose from 1.7% to 6.9% and for boys from 2.1% to 9.3%.

Notably, in 2022, 880 million adults and 159 million children were identified as obese, while obesity rates hit 60 percent in Tonga, American Samoa, and Nauru.

(Photo : JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/AFP via Getty Images)A physiotherapist assists obese patients with exercises in an obesity unit at the CHU Angers teaching hospital in Angers, western France, on October 23, 2013.

Moreover, global adult obesity rates have risen from 8.8% to 18.5% for women and 4.8% to 14% for men. Experts pointed out that obesity has emerged as the most prevalent malnutrition since childhood, and adult underweight rates have dropped.

Underweight children and adolescents have decreased by about one-fifth in girls and more than one-third in boys. Underweight adults are virtually half gone.

Experts: Fighting Obesity is a Societal Responsibility

The study's principal author, Prof. Majid Ezzati, is worried that school-age children and teenagers are obese like 1990 adults. He emphasizes making healthy meals more affordable and accessible to the public.

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasizes the need for governments to work with communities to achieve global obesity goals. He stresses the need to follow WHO and national public health agency policies that are evidence-based.

The health risks of obesity are now generally recognized. In 2019, increasing BMI rates caused 5 million noncommunicable disease deaths, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, malignancies, neurological disorders, chronic respiratory illnesses, and digestive system problems.

"Obesity is a societal rather than an individual responsibility, with the solutions to be found through the creation of supportive environments and communities that embed healthy diets and regular physical activity as the most accessible, available and affordable behaviours of daily life," the UN health agency stated.

A Promising Medication

In the United States, contrary to previous optimism about declining rates, TechTimes reports a troubling surge in severe obesity among children. The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program witnessed a decline from 2.1% in 2010 to 1.8% in 2016, only to see a resurgence to 2% in 2020.

Alarmingly, 20 states reported the largest increases, with California leading at 2.8%. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of the rise in severe obesity in young children and stressed the urgent need for action.

Subsequently, acknowledging the escalating rates of obesity and overweight-related diseases in the United States, the FDA approved "Zepbound" (tirzepatide) last year for chronic weight control.

Dr. John Sharretts of the FDA indicates that clinical study findings suggest the new obesity drug may help patients lose 20-25% of their body weight with a balanced diet and exercise, providing hope in the face of this growing health concern.