According to a recent report, if significant efforts are not made, by 2035 half of the world’s population will be obese or overweight.
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Globally, 38 percent of the world’s population (nearly 2.6 billion people) are overweight or obese. If the situation does not change in the future, this figure is expected to rise to 51 percent in just twelve years, according to new reports released by the World Obesity Federation.
In addition, obesity rates are especially on the rise among children and low-income countries.
The President of the World Obesity Federation, Louis Baur, explained that to prevent the situation from worsening, the executive bodies need to act immediately.
“It is particularly alarming to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents,” the researchers say.
“Governments and policy makers around the world need to do everything they can to avoid passing the health, social and economic costs on to younger generations,” Baur added.
Childhood obesity could double in 2020 to 175 million girls and 208 million boys by 2035, according to new reports.
The authors of the study said that their goal was not to blame individuals, but rather they require a focus on social, biological and environmental factors.
Worst effects expected in poor countries
The report uses the body mass index (BMI) for evaluation, which is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. According to WHO guidelines, a BMI over 25 is considered overweight, while over 30 is considered obese.
The federation report also points to a sharp increase in obesity rates in poor countries, but they are the least prepared to fight this disease.
Nine out of ten countries that are expected to see a significant increase in obesity in the future are middle- or low-income countries in Asia and Africa.
The federation’s director of science, Rachel Jackson Leach, warned that without serious action, poor countries would suffer serious consequences.
“Growth will be greatest in low- and middle-income countries, where a lack of resources and lack of preparedness will create the perfect storm that will negatively impact obese people the most,” she said.
