United States: Experts advocate rapid government intervention due to projected 60 percent obesity rates among adults and children worldwide.
A third of childhood obesity incidences are projected to manifest by 2050.
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Using data from 204 countries, the Lancet medical journal published research that revealed a foreboding scenario that was considered to be an essential health challenge of this century by the report authors.
According to the lead author Emmanuela Gakidou, from the United States-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), “The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure,” BBC News reported.
Research has shown that the global number of overweight and obese people increased from 929 million in 1990 to 2.6 billion in 2021.a
According to research projections, 3.8 billion adults will experience obesity or overweight in 15 years, representing almost 60 percent of the global adult population in 2050, if immediate corrective measures are not taken.
What are the experts forecasting?
According to forecasts presented by researchers, the health systems will encounter overwhelming challenges because of obesity, which will affect approximately one-quarter of obese populations over the age of 65.
The experts estimated that childhood obesity across the globe would surge by 121 percent in the following years.
Thirds of worldwide obese children are projected to reside in MENA and Latin America by 2050, based on published research findings.
According to the study, about sixty percent of all obese adults currently reside in eight countries, including China, India, the United States, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt, BBC News reported.
The World Obesity Federation released the World Obesity Atlas on Monday, which addressed this matter.
According to the Obesity Atlas, both adults and children with obesity and overweight conditions will reside in low- and middle-income countries, totaling 79% and 88%, respectively, by 2035, while the world maintains only 7% of countries equipped to manage this condition effectively.