Obesity Keeps Gaining Globally
According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 74% of adults in the United States are either overweight or obese. Based on their body mass index, 42% of Americans are obese (BMI = 30kg/m² or higher) and 32% are overweight (BMI = 25.0-29.9).
In 2000, the U.S. obesity prevalence was just above 30%. Twenty years later, it is 42% and showing no signs of slowing. In the same timeframe, severe obesity (BMI = 40.0 and higher) nearly doubled in prevalence from 5% to 9%.
In addition to being common, obesity is a serious, and costly disease. 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. live with one or more diet-related health conditions:
Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. These are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death.
The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was nearly $173 billion in 2019 dollars. Medical costs for adults who had obesity were $1,861 higher than medical costs for people with healthy weight.
19% of children and adolescents in the U.S. are obese (BMI = 95th percentile and higher) and a similar percentage are overweight (BMI = 85-95th percentile). Health consequences are not any less serious in the pediatric age group:
Obesity-related conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea, and joint problems.
The United States isn’t suffering alone with rising BMIs. According to the newly published World Obesity Atlas 2023, overweight and obesity is a global phenomenon. By 2035 — just 12 years from now — more than half of the world’s population is expected to be overweight or obese:
The estimates for global levels of overweight and obesity (BMI ≥25kg/m2) […] suggest that over 4 billion people may be affected by 2035, compared with over 2.6 billion in 2020. This reflects an increase from 38% of the world’s population in 2020 to over 50% by 2035 (figures exclude children under 5 years old).
The prevalence of obesity alone is anticipated to rise from 14% to 24% of the population over the same period, affecting nearly 2 billion adults, children and adolescents by 2035.
The rising prevalence of obesity is expected to be steepest among children and adolescents, rising from 10% to 20% of the world’s boys during the period 2020 to 2035, and rising from 8% to 18% of the world’s girls.
Ralph Ellis adds up the monetary damage caused by overweight and obesity:
The global economic impact of people being overweight or having obesity could reach $4.32 trillion annually by 2035 if preventive steps aren’t taken, according to the report.
“At nearly 3% of global GDP (gross domestic product), this is on a par with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020,” the report says.
“Let’s be clear: the economic impact of obesity is not the fault of individuals living with the disease,” says Johanna Ralston, CEO of the Federation. “It is a result of high-level failures to provide the environmental, healthcare, food, and support systems that we all need to live happy, healthy lives.”
Yesterday on The PediaBlog, we noted the American Public Health Association’s call to action regarding barriers to improving nutrition. The alarming new data suggests major trouble ahead in the U.S. and around the world if those barriers aren’t knocked down:
Describing the data as a “clear warning”, Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation, said that policymakers needed to act now to prevent the situation worsening.
“It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents,” she said in a statement.
“Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social and economic costs on to the younger generation.”
source https://www.thepediablog.com/2023/04/11/obesity-keeps-gaining-globally/
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