A third of young people and children are also at risk, a study has found
Over half of adults and a third of young people and children worldwide will be overweight or obese by 2050, leading to significant health repercussions, a study published in The Lancet has predicted.
The World Health Organization defines overweight as having a Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight, over 25, and obesity as having a BMI over 30.
The study revealed that 2.11 billion adults aged 25 and older, along with 493 million children and young people aged five to 24, are currently overweight or obese. This marks a significant rise from 731 million adults and 198 million young people in 1990.
The report warned that without immediate policy changes and intervention, over half of adults aged 25 and older (3.8 billion) and around a third of children and young people (746 million) could be overweight or obese by 2050.
Researchers expressed concern that the rising trend presents an “unparalleled threat” of early death, disease, and immense pressure on healthcare systems.
“The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure,” said lead author Prof Emmanuela Gakidou, from the University of Washington.
The study revealed significant regional disparities, with more than half of the world’s overweight or obese adults concentrated in just eight countries: China (402 million), India (180 million), the United States (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (58 million), Indonesia (52 million), and Egypt (41 million).
The report also forecasts a dramatic 121% increase in obesity among children and young people, with the number expected to reach 360 million by 2050.
By 2050, an estimated one in three children and young people with obesity (130 million) will be concentrated in North Africa and the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean – leading to significant health, economic, and social repercussions.
The authors of the report warned that children worldwide are gaining weight at a faster rate than previous generations, with obesity developing earlier. This trend increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer at a younger age.
Obesity has also become a pressing public concern for Russia as nearly 25% of adult Russians currently grapple with excessive weight, according to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.
Reducing this figure is a top priority for the ministry, along with combating alcohol and tobacco abuse – habits that, according to government estimates, deprive vulnerable Russians of an average of seven years of life.
