According to a recent report, if no significant actions are taken, half the world’s population will be obese or overweight by 2035.
Globally, 38 percent of the Earth’s population— almost 2.6 billion people —are overweight or obese. If situations do not alter in the future, the rate is expected to rise to 51 percent in just twelve years' time, as per new reports published by World Obesity Federation.
Furthermore, the obesity rate is particularly rising among children and countries with low-income rates.
Children are the main victim
Describing the data to be a clear warning, the president of the World Obesity Federation, Louis Baur, explained that in order to prevent the worsening of the situation, policymakers are required to act now.
"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," Baur added.
Reports discovered that childhood obesity could more than double its levels in 2020 to 175 million girls and 208 million boys by 2035.
The authors, however, said their aim was not to blame individuals. Rather, they call for a focus on the societal, biological, and environmental factors involved in the conditions.
The worst effects are expected in poor countries
The report utilizes BMI (Body Mass Index) for its assessment, BMI is calculated by dividing an individual's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. In line with the WHO guidelines, a BMI score of more than 25 is overweight, and over 30 is considered as obese.
The federation’s report also shed light upon a sharp increase in the obesity rate in poor countries, yet they are least prepared to confront the disease.
Nine out of ten countries that are expected to experience a big rise in obesity in the future are middle or low—income nations in Asia and Africa.
The federation’s director of science, Racheal Jackson Leach, warned that without major actions, the poor countries would suffer major consequences.
“The greatest increases will be seen in low- and middle-income countries where scarce resources and lack of preparedness will create a perfect storm that will negatively impact people living with obesity the most,” she stated.
