According to WHO, Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. In preparation for World Obesity Day, which annually takes place today 4th of March(This year’s theme is ‘Let’s Talk About Obesity And…’), WHO has released a new Lancet Study which reveals that over 1 billion people in the world are living with obesity as of 2022.
The study also reveals that all over the world the number of obesity amongst adults has doubled up since 1990 and is now quadrupled amongst children and adolescents of ages 5 to 19 years old.
It was made known that within 1990-2022 the number of children and adolescents between the ages of 5–19 years who are obese has risen from 2% to 8% globally, while the number of adults of 18 years of age and older living with obesity has increased from 7% to 16%, and also 43% of adults are obese.
The rates in countries across the world vary from one another, with countries in North Africa, Middle East, The Pacific and the Carribean having the highest rates while countries in South East Asia have the lowest.
Obesity is a noncommunicable disease that could lead to various health risks and diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some types of cancers. Apart from health risks as a negative side effect of being obese, there are also social and psychological effects such social discrimination, low self esteem and so on.
In reaction to the Lancet Study the Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said “This new study highlights the importance of preventing and managing obesity from early life to adulthood, through diet, physical activity, and adequate care, as needed.
“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 from WHO and national public health agencies. Importantly, it requires the cooperation of the private sector, which must be accountable for the health impacts of their products.”
In acknowledgement of the study, Dr Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Nutrition and Food Safety Department and one of the co-authors of the study stated that, “There are significant challenges in implementing policies aimed at ensuring affordable access to healthy diets for all and creating environments that promote physical activity and overall healthy lifestyles for everyone.Countries should also ensure that health systems integrate the prevention and management of obesity into the basic package of services.”
From statistics, obesity is mostly affecting individuals who belong to the middle – low income countries and those who lack access to quality health care and also proper nutrition.
