WHO urges government action: New Lancet data reveals one billion living with obesity globally

01 Mar 2024 --- Obesity rates among children and adolescents worldwide have increased four times in 33 years, while among adults, this rate has more than doubled, according to a global analysis of data for the period 1990 to 2022, published in The Lancet. Currently, more than one billion people worldwide, or one in seven, are grappling with obesity. The escalating obesity rates can be seen in almost every country worldwide.

Underweight rates fell for all age-groups, with obesity becoming the most common form of malnutrition in many countries.

The regions of the world with the highest combined rates of underweight and obesity in 2022 were the Pacific, the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa.  

“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,” says Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general.

“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.”

The obesity rate doubled in women and nearly tripled in men, 159 million children and 879 million adults now obese.Shifting malnutrition landscape
The Lancet presents a pooled analysis of 3,663 population-representative studies involving 222 million children, adolescents and adults worldwide, revealing comprehensive and up-to-date trends in underweight and obesity.

The WHO also contributed to the data collection and analysis of the study, with the full dataset now being disseminated through the Global Health Observatory.

In numbers, the data reveals that the obesity rate doubled in women and nearly tripled in men. Overall, 159 million children and adolescents and 879 million adults are now living with obesity. 

More positively, in the 33 years analyzed in the study, the proportion of children and adolescents living with underweight fell by close to one-fifth in girls and more than one-third in boys. The proportion of adults affected by underweight decreased by more than half in the same time period. 

Obesity epidemic
However, the report makes it clear that obesity, just like underweight, is a form of malnutrition that poses numerous risks to human health and well-being, and that calls for adequate and urgent action by the relevant bodies in power. 

“The double burden of obesity and underweight has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity,” states senior author Professor Majid Ezzati, of Imperial College London, UK, speaking at the WHO virtual press conference on the study. 

“Among the largest increases are in newly high-income countries. Underweight remains prevalent in south Asia, and parts of Africa and southeast Asia, despite falling significantly. The transition to obesity dominance first began in adults, and then followed in children and adolescents.”

He underscores that it is concerning that the epidemic of obesity that was evident among adults in much of the world in 1990 is now mirrored in school-aged children and adolescents. “At the same time, hundreds of millions are still affected by undernutrition, particularly in some of the poorest parts of the world.”

“To successfully tackle both forms of malnutrition it is vital we significantly improve the availability and affordability of healthy, nutritious foods,” he asserts. 

Dr. Guha Pradeepa, a co-author of the study from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, India, highlights the compounding effects of global issues such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts like Russia's war in Ukraine. 

He cautions that these factors risk exacerbating both obesity and undernutrition by increasing poverty and disrupting access to nutrient-rich foods, necessitating comprehensive policies to address these challenges. 

By Milana Nikolova