Over a billion people now affected by obesity worldwide, comprehensive analysis shows

A groundbreaking analysis published in The Lancet has highlighted a concerning milestone in global health: the number of children, adolescents, and adults living with obesity worldwide has exceeded one billion. This significant finding marks a shift in the nutritional challenges faced globally, with obesity now surpassing undernutrition as the predominant form of malnutrition in the majority of countries.

This detailed examination of global data reveals a stark increase in obesity rates among the world’s youth in 2022, which are now four times higher than they were in 1990. For adults, the increase is equally alarming, with obesity rates more than doubling for women and nearly tripling for men. Specifically, the analysis found that 159 million children and adolescents, along with 879 million adults, were living with obesity in 2022.

Simultaneously, the study reports a decline in the prevalence of underweight individuals since 1990, indicating progress in one area of malnutrition but highlighting the growing concern of obesity. Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London, a leading figure in the study, expressed grave concerns about the obesity epidemic’s expansion into younger demographics and stressed the importance of improving access to healthy, nutritious foods to combat both obesity and undernutrition.

The study, a collaborative effort between the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), analysed weight and height measurements from over 220 million people aged five years and older across more than 190 countries. This extensive data collection aimed to trace the evolution of obesity and underweight from 1990 to 2022, using Body Mass Index (BMI) as a key measure.

The findings reveal a dramatic rise in obesity rates globally, with significant increases observed in nearly all countries examined. In parallel, there has been a notable decline in underweight rates, shifting the focus of nutritional health challenges.

Regionally, the study provides detailed insights into the prevalence of obesity and underweight. For instance, in Polynesia and Micronesia, as well as in the Caribbean and the Middle East and North Africa, obesity rates have surged, surpassing those in many high-income industrialised countries, particularly in Europe. Specifically, Tonga and American Samoa reported the highest prevalence of obesity among women, while American Samoa and Nauru topped the list for men.

In contrast, the United Kingdom saw its obesity rates climb from 13.8% to 28.3% for women and from 10.7% to 26.9% for men between 1990 and 2022. Similarly, the United States experienced a significant increase in obesity rates, with women’s rates jumping from 21.2% to 43.8% and men’s from 16.9% to 41.6% over the same period.

China and India also witnessed notable increases in obesity rates, albeit from lower baselines. China’s obesity rates rose from 2.0% to 7.8% for women and from 0.8% to 8.9% for men, while India saw increases from 1.2% to 9.8% for women and from 0.5% to 5.4% for men.

Despite these increases, the study also highlighted countries where underweight remains a significant concern, with Eritrea and Timor-Leste for women, and Eritrea and Ethiopia for men, recording the highest prevalence of underweight in 2022.

The study underscores the complex global challenge of addressing both obesity and undernutrition, emphasising the need for comprehensive policy measures and international cooperation to tackle these issues effectively. Despite limitations, such as the imperfect nature of BMI as a measure and variable data availability, the analysis provides a crucial overview of global nutritional trends, highlighting the urgent need for action to create a healthier global population.