The prevalence of obesity is spreading like a pandemic worldwide. If this trend continues, by 2050, 3.8 billion adults and 746 million children could suffer from obesity, representing 60% of the global population.
This alarming projection was highlighted in a recent article published in The Lancet, a leading medical and scientific journal. The article was authored by Professor Emmanuela Gakidou of the Health Metrics and Evaluation Department at Washington University, USA. The research, funded by the Gates Foundation, involved analyzing lifestyle, dietary habits, and other data from 204 countries and autonomous regions.
Over the past three decades, the global number of obese individuals has more than doubled. In 2021, 493 million people aged 5 to 24 and 2.1 billion adults were affected by obesity.
The causes of this rapid increase in obesity are complex and multifaceted. However, the study found that low- and middle-income countries are experiencing higher obesity growth rates than developed nations. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, the obesity rate has surged by 250% over the last 30 years. Currently, eight countries in this region—Angola, Burundi, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic—have 522 million obese adults and 200 million obese children.
The World Obesity Federation also acknowledges the rising obesity rates in low- and middle-income countries. Federation President Simon Barquera stated that by 2035, 79% of adults and 88% of children in these countries could be affected by obesity.
The primary contributors to the obesity epidemic include unhealthy dietary habits, high sugar intake, lack of physical activity, and sedentary lifestyles. Obesity significantly increases the risk of severe health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, and brain strokes.