According to a report by the World Obesity Federation, more than 50% of people globally will be overweight or obese by the year 2035 if the correct steps aren’t taken.
It is time to act now or risk repercussions in the future, said the president of the federation Prof Louise Baur. He described the findings from the report as a warning to countries, saying the trend was “particularly worrying”, and added that “government and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation” by examining “the systems and root factors” that lead to overweight.
The effects of obesity are more prevalent in lower-income countries, highlights the report. Nine of the ten countries with the greatest expected increases in obesity globally are low or lower-middle-income states in Africa and Asia.
By 2035, combating obesity will cost more than $4tn (£3.3tn) annually, predicts the report.
What Is The Cause of Obesity?
The reasons for overweight include dietary preferences toward highly processed foods, greater levels of inactive behavior, ineffective policies that control food supply and marketing, along with lack of available resources needed for good healthcare to help people manage their weight and health education.
Countries with lower income are “often the least able to respond to obesity and its consequences”. The report estimates that rises in obesity rates worldwide will highly damage the global economy, equating to as much as 3% of the global Gross Domestic Product.
Highlights
The report especially underlines the high rising overweight rates in children and teenagers, with rates projected to twofold from 2020 levels among both boys and girls.
A part of the report highlights that the economic impact of obesity “is in no way a reflection of blame on people living with overweight”. The published data will be presented to the UN on Monday.
The term Obese is a medical term used to describe someone who has high excess of body fat. To calculate and assess the report used Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by dividing an adult’s weight by the square of their height.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-64831848
