A new study published in The Lancet has warned that nearly 60 percent of all adults and a third of children worldwide could be overweight or obese by 2050 unless urgent action is taken by governments. The study, which used data from 204 countries, describes this rising trend as one of the greatest health challenges of the century.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Lead author Emmanuela Gakidou, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), stated, “The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure.” The research revealed that the number of overweight or obese people worldwide grew from 929 million in 1990 to 2.6 billion in 2021.
If current trends continue, the study predicts that by 2050, 3.8 billion adults will be overweight or obese, representing around 60 percent of the global adult population. This could place immense pressure on global health systems, with nearly a quarter of those affected being over the age of 65.
The research also highlights a staggering 121-percent increase in obesity among children and adolescents, with North Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean projected to be home to a third of all obese young people by 2050.
However, the study also emphasizes that it’s not too late to take action. Co-author Jessica Kerr from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia stressed the need for stronger political commitment to transform diets and global food systems. This includes strategies to improve nutrition, promote physical activity, and improve living environments, such as access to parks and healthier food options.
More than half of the world’s overweight or obese adults already live in just eight countries—China, India, the United States, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt.
While poor diet and sedentary lifestyles are identified as key contributors to the epidemic, the study acknowledges ongoing uncertainties regarding the underlying causes. For example, social deprivation has been linked to higher obesity rates, though the reasons for this remain unexplained.
The research is part of the Global Burden of Disease study, which involves thousands of researchers worldwide and is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
