Global Obesity Crisis: More Than Half of Adults Expected to Be Obese by 2050, Warns Lancet Study
A new study published in The Lancet reveals alarming projections for global obesity rates, with predictions that by 2050, more than half of adults and one-third of children, adolescents, and young people worldwide may be affected by obesity or excess weight.
The research points to the failure of international efforts to tackle the obesity epidemic over the past three decades, resulting in a sharp increase in obesity rates across the globe. According to the study, 2.11 billion adults aged 25 and older, and 493 million children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 24 are currently dealing with obesity or excess weight. This marks a significant rise from 1990, when 731 million adults and 198 million children and adolescents were affected.
The study projects that childhood and adolescent obesity could surge by as much as 121%, potentially impacting 360 million young people by 2050.
Although the prevalence of obesity varies across regions, more than half of the world’s obese and overweight population resides in just eight countries: China (402 million), India (180 million), the United States (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (50 million), Indonesia (52 million), and Egypt (41 million).
The study also predicts that North Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean will be home to one-third of the obese children and adolescents by 2050. Experts have expressed concern over the rapid rate at which today’s children are gaining weight compared to previous generations, with many developing obesity at younger ages. This trend puts them at greater risk of early onset of serious health conditions such as type-2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.
As the global obesity crisis continues to worsen, experts stress the urgent need for more effective public health initiatives to combat this growing issue and prevent the negative health consequences associated with excessive weight gain.
