Published in News
Friday 4 March 2022 is World Obesity Day, an annual day of action organised by the World Obesity Federation that calls for a multifaceted, multisectoral response to the global obesity crisis.
The global scale of obesity
For adults, overweight and obesity are defined as a body mass index (BMI) of greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2 and greater than or equal to 30 kg.m2, respectively. Having a higher BMI is a risk factor for many non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and 12 types of cancer.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity across the globe has tripled since 1975. Current estimates report that 1.9 billion adults are living with overweight or obesity, placing a substantial proportion of the world’s population at higher risk of NCDs.
This trend is also observed in children and adolescents, with over 340 million living with overweight or obesity as of 2016.
The increasing burden for low- and middle-income countries
Historically, obesity was considered a consequence of affluent lifestyles and a problem of high-income countries. However, over recent decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has dramatically risen in all regions of the world, including low- and middle-income settings.
More than half of all people living with obesity live in ten countries, of which eight are categorised as low- or middle-income. Furthermore, 15% of all people living with obesity reside in China and India.
The food environment
Many factors interact in a complex system to influence energy balance and body weight, including genetics, the food environment, healthcare access, and social stigma.
The environment plays a central role in the accessibility, availability, and acceptability of different food choices and dietary patterns. The last 40 years have seen substantial changes in economic development, globalisation, industrialised agriculture, new technologies, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Such changes have led to a shift from traditional dietary patterns to a more energy-dense, nutrient-poor diet, ultimately increasing the likelihood of overweight and obesity.
Healthy urban environments
At present, over half of all the world’s people live in cities, with trends projecting that, by 2050, around 70% of the world’s population will live in cities and other urban environments. Therefore, addressing how urban environments support good health now and in the future is critical to global health.
The GACD funding agencies have come together and, later this year, will open a call targeting implementation research, NCDs, and urban environments. The aim of this is call is to equip mayors and other policymakers with evidence-based tools for promoting the health-promoting potential of cities to reduce NCD risks. Applicants may target obesity as part of their projects, for example, by exploring interventions and/or policies that improve urban food systems, city walkability and bike safety, and availability of green spaces. Transdisciplinary partnerships among health, urban planning, and behavioural science experts are encouraged. All projects must focus on populations in low- and middle-income countries or disadvantaged populations in high-income countries.
By developing sustainable environments that are conducive to, and actively support, good health, we might expect to see a healthier future for populations across the world.
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Sources
WHO Fact Sheet – Obesity and overweight access website.
NCD RiSC (NCD Risk Factor Collaboration) access website.
World Cancer Research Fund International – Diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer access report.
Ng M et al. (2014) Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet; 384(9945):766-81.
Ford ND et al. (2017) Obesity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Burden, Drivers, and Emerging Challenges. Annual Review of Public Health; 38:1, 145-164.
Popkin BM et al. (2012). Global nutrition transition and the pandemic of obesity in developing countries. Nutrition reviews; 70(1), 3–21.
The World Bank – Urban development access website.