There are now more than one billion obese people living with obesity worldwide and one in eight people are affected, new analysis reveals.
About 159 million children and adolescents and 879 million adults have such a high weight in relation to their height that they are classified as obese.
Obesity rates among young people quadrupled globally between 1990 and 2022, the latest year available, while rates among adults more than doubled, the researchers found.
Meanwhile, rates of underweight fell among children and adolescents and more than halved among adults worldwide.
This means that obesity is now the most common form of malnutrition in many countries, according to the study published in the Lancet medical journal.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Your browser does not support iframes.
In the UK, around 16.8 million people are living with obesity, including 8 million women, 7.4 million men, 760,000 boys and 590,000 girls.
The obesity rate among British adults increased from 13.8 percent in 1990 to 28.3 percent in 2022 for women and from 10.7 percent to 26.9 percent for men.
Over the same period, the rate more than doubled, from 4.7 percent to 10.1 percent among UK girls, and tripled from 4.3 percent to 12.4 percent for boys.
NHS bosses last night described the figures as alarming as they warned the “health time bomb” will lead to shorter, unhappier lives and put pressure on services.
Lead author Professor Majid Ezzati, from Imperial College London, said: “It is very worrying that the obesity epidemic that was evident among adults in much of the world in 1990 is now reflected in school-aged children and adolescents. .
‘At the same time, hundreds of millions remain affected by malnutrition, especially in some of the poorest parts of the world.
“To successfully address both forms of malnutrition it is vital that we significantly improve the availability and affordability of healthy and nutritious foods.”
Globally, the obesity rate more than doubled in women, almost tripled in men, and more than quadrupled in girls and boys, between 1990 and 2022.
Places with the highest prevalence of obesity include Tonga, American Samoa, Polynesia and Micronesia, Cook Islands, and Niue.
The data also showed that globally, in 2022, about 532 million people will be underweight, including 183 million women, 164 million men, 77 million girls and 108 million boys.
And in the UK, around 981,000 people are underweight, including 430,000 women, 360,000 men, 61,000 girls and 130,000 boys.
In 2022, obesity rates were higher than underweight rates among girls and boys in about two-thirds of the world’s countries.
The study was conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a network of health scientists from around the world, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).
Researchers used body mass index (BMI), which is calculated using weight and height, to understand how obesity and underweight have changed around the world over three decades.
The team compiled data from more than 3,000 population studies involving 222 million people.
The researchers said that although BMI is an imperfect measure of body fat, it is widely recorded in population surveys.
Professor Simon Kenny, national clinical director for children and young people at NHS England, said: “These figures will be as alarming for parents as they are for the NHS.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Around two-thirds of over-16s in England (64 per cent) are overweight, including tens of thousands who are morbidly obese. This is an 11 percent increase from 1993, when 53 percent were considered overweight. Experts blame a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diets. Source: Health Survey for England 2021
One million patients, who were of a healthy weight and had a body mass index (BMI) of 18 to 25, were estimated to cost the NHS an average of £638 each in 2019, the final year of the study. In comparison, severely obese patients with a BMI of 40 or more cost more than twice as much: £1,375 a year. Meanwhile, the NHS spent £979 a year on obese patients with a BMI of 30-35, which rose to £1,178 a year for those with a BMI of 35-40.
“Obesity affects all human organ systems, so at a young age it can have a major impact on a child’s life, increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, mental health problems and many other diseases, which can lead to shorter and unhappy lives.
‘The NHS is committed to helping as many young people and families affected by extreme weight problems as possible through our new network of 30 specialist clinics, offering tailored packages of physical, psychological and social support.
“But the NHS cannot solve this problem alone, and continued, joint action from industry and wider society is needed if we are to avoid a future health time bomb.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said: “This new study highlights the importance of preventing and controlling obesity from the first years of life to adulthood, through diet, physical activity and appropriate care, as needed.
‘Getting back on track to meet global targets to curb obesity will require the work of governments and communities, supported by evidence-based policies from WHO and national public health agencies.
“Most importantly, it requires the cooperation of the private sector, which must be responsible for the health impacts of its products.”
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS.
• Eat at least 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Base meals are based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole grain crackers, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, and one large baked potato with skin.
• Eat some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) by choosing low-fat, low-sugar options.
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish each week, one of which should be fatty).
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts
• Drink 6 to 8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should consume less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day.
Fountain: NHS Eatwell Guide