More than 1 billion people worldwide are suffering from obesity

 

More than one billion people around the world are now suffering from obesity with the number having more than quadrupled since 1990, according to a study released by the Lancet medical journal.

They estimated that 504 million adult women and 374 million men were obese in 2022. The study said the obesity rate had nearly tripled for men (14 percent) since 1990 and more than doubled for women (18.5 percent).

Some 159 million children and adolescents were living with obesity in 2022, according to the study, up from about 31 million in 1990.

Francesco Branca, director of nutrition for health at the WHO, said the rise past one billion people has come "much earlier than we have anticipated".

The chronic and complex illness is accompanied by a greater risk of death from heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Being overweight increased the risk of death during the coronavirus pandemic.

Obesity can also affect bone health and reproduction, influences the quality of living, such as sleeping or moving.

In 2019, higher-than-optimal BMI (body mass index) caused an estimated 5 million deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, neurological disorders, chronic respiratory diseases and digestive disorders.

Children with obesity are very likely to be adults with obesity and are also at a higher risk of developing NCDs in adulthood.

Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance of energy intake (diet) and energy expenditure (physical activity). Eating badly is a prime factor for obesity.

"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," said WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.