CNN reports that obesity is now the most common type of malnutrition worldwide, affecting over a billion people globally. This alarming figure comes from a new study published in the medical journal The Lancet.
Obesity has spread faster than anticipated, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. The speed at which the global population has transitioned from being underweight to overweight has surprised the researchers. Previously, experts believed that there would be one billion obese people by 2030. However, we reached that number much earlier than expected in 2022.
The study was conducted by over 1,500 researchers from the Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization. They examined the height and weight data of over 220 million people from more than 190 countries. Their focus was on obesity and underweight individuals, both of which are forms of malnutrition and harmful to health.
The study estimates that about 880 million adults and 159 million children were obese in 2022. Furthermore, global obesity rates among children and adolescents have increased four times since 1990. Adult obesity rates have more than doubled.
While obesity is a rising concern, the number of underweight people has decreased in most countries. Obesity rates are now higher than underweight rates in two-thirds of the world’s nations.
Countries with the highest obesity rates in 2022 included Tonga, American Samoa, and Nauru, where over 60% of the adult population is obese. Surprisingly, the leading nations for obesity were no longer wealthy industrialised nations, aside from the United States.
To combat obesity and underweight issues, both of which coexist in numerous countries, the researchers recommend implementing policies addressing both problems. Examples include promoting breastfeeding, taxing sugar-sweetened beverages, regulating food advertising to children, and providing nutritious food in schools.
Obesity is a significant global health issue that needs immediate action from governments and communities. Policymakers must strive to ensure everyone has access to healthy, nutritious food.
