More than a billion people around the world are now affected by obesity. This is what we see a new analysispublished on March 1, 2024 in The Lancet and which sought to study the evolution of global trends in malnutrition (which includes obesity and underweight), in 190 countries, over more than 30 years, in collaboration with the World Health Organization ( WHO).
Obesity is assessed using the BMI, that is to say body mass index, which is a measurement of weight relative to height. For calculate your BMI, you must divide your weight by the square of your height, and the result is expressed in kg/m2. A person who has a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is considered obese.
Obesity: the incidence has doubled in adults and quadrupled in children in 30 years
According to the figures from this new work, rates of obese adults have doubled in 30 years : they have doubled among women and almost tripled among men since 1990. Scientists have also noted that in 2022, 43% of adults worldwide were Overweight. On the side children and adolescentsscientists noticed that the incidence of obesity has increased fourfold, in both girls and boys. In total, they estimated that in 2022, nearly 880 million adults and 159 million children were obese, showing that more than a billion people worldwide are affected by obesity today. .
Researchers have therefore noted a rapid increase in obesity throughout the world, particularly in low-income countries. “We tended to think of obesity as a problem of the rich, but now we see it’s a global problem”, they report. Nevertheless, the countries most affected by obesity and underweight in 2022 were island countries in the Caribbean, Polynesia and Micronesia, as well as countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
New figures which should push public authorities to act against malnutrition according to researchers
Malnutrition includes overweight, obesity, but also undernutrition and insufficient intake of vitamins or minerals, explains the WHO. While undernutrition still constitutes a public health problem in many countries, particularly in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, Obesity is the most widespread form of malnutrition in the world today.according to the researchers of this work.
These figures are not without consequences for the health of global populations. Indeed, the WHO recalls that obesity is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases as cardiovascular illnesses, diabetesmusculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritisor even certain cancers.
This is why experts emphasize the need to put in place measures to curb the global incidence of obesity. “This new study highlights thatit is important to prevent and manage obesity from birth to adulthood, through diet, physical activity and adequate care, according to needs”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. Indeed, according to the researchers of this work, these latest results attest to the urgent need for global policies to try to reduce malnutrition, in particular by improving the accessibility of nutritious foods, and by implementing prevention and management strategies. obesity and underweight.
Sources :
- Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults – The Lancet – 1er mars 2024
- One in eight people are obese today – World Health Organization – March 1, 2024
- Obesity and overweight – World Health Organization
