60% of Adults Overweight by 2050

Nearly 60% of adults and a third of children worldwide could be overweight or obese by 2050 unless governments intervene, according to a significant new study.

Published in the Lancet medical journal, the research analyzed data from 204 countries and labeled the obesity crisis as one of the biggest health challenges of the 21st century.

Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou, the study's lead author from the U.S.-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), described it as a "profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure."

The number of overweight or obese individuals globally rose dramatically from 929 million in 1990 to 2.6 billion in 2021.

Researchers project that by 2050, 3.8 billion adults, or roughly 60% of adults worldwide, will fall into these categories.

This rise is expected to put immense pressure on global health systems, as about a quarter of obese individuals in 2050 will be aged 65 or older.

Alarmingly, obesity among children and adolescents is projected to increase by 121%, with one-third of obese youth residing in regions like North Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Jessica Kerr, a study co-author from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia, stressed the importance of stronger political action to improve nutrition, encourage physical activity, and create healthier living environments.

The study revealed that more than half of the world’s overweight or obese population lives in just eight countries—China, India, the United States, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt.

Thorkild Sorensen of the University of Copenhagen highlighted that socially disadvantaged groups consistently show higher obesity rates, though the reasons remain unclear.

The study drew on data from the Global Burden of Disease project by the IHME, which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Source: arabnews

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