Rising Obesity Rates admin, March 1, 2024 Rising Obesity Rates. New research has shown that over the past 30 years, the number of people dealing with obesity has skyrocketed to over 1 billion worldwide. And here’s the kicker – the rates among children have shot up four times over, while they’ve doubled among adults. That’s a pretty worrying trend, don’t you think? The Study Breakdown So, here’s what the study dug up: They analyzed the height and weight data of a whopping 220 million folks from over 190 countries between 1990 and 2022. That’s a huge sample size! And guess what they found? Obesity rates have shot up big time, especially among kids. The Nitty-Gritty Details For girls around the globe, the obesity rate jumped from 1.7% in 1990 to 6.9% in 2022. Boys didn’t fare any better – their rates went from 2.1% to 9.3% over the same period. And it’s not just the young ones – adults saw their obesity rates double too. Getting Real About the Stats In case you’re wondering, obesity in adults means having a BMI of 30kg/m2 or higher. For women, the global obesity rate climbed from 8.8% to 18.5%, and for men, it went from 4.8% to 14%. That’s a big jump in just over three decades! On the Flip Side Interestingly, while obesity rates soared, rates of underweight people dropped for both kids and adults. But here’s the kicker – obesity has become the most common form of malnutrition in many countries worldwide. It’s a real eye-opener, isn’t it? The Big Picture In total, a staggering 880 million adults and 159 million children were grappling with obesity in 2022. Tonga, American Samoa, and Nauru topped the charts with obesity rates of over 60%. As for the UK, it ranked 87th for obesity rates in women and 55th for men. Expert Insights Prof Majid Ezzati, the brains behind the study, called the rise in obesity rates among kids a cause for major concern. He emphasized the need for better access to healthy foods to tackle both obesity and undernutrition. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general, stressed the importance of governments, communities, and the private sector working together to combat obesity. Taking Action Prof Simon Kenny from NHS England urged everyone to take obesity seriously. He highlighted the risks it poses to kids’ health and emphasized the need for support from both the healthcare system and society as a whole. It’s a Wake-Up Call These numbers are definitely alarming, and it’s clear that we need to take action. From better access to healthy foods to support for those struggling with weight issues, it’s going to take a collective effort to turn the tide on obesity and ensure a healthier future for everyone. Society Healthy FoodsSociety