More Than Half of World Population Will be Obese by 2035, New Report Suggests

The World Obesity Federation released a new report claiming that more than half of the world's population will become obese by 2035, the sharpest increase of which is expected among the younger generation.

Currently, roughly 2.6 billion people around the world are considered overweight or obese, and the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated these trends. While the health crisis also interrupted data collection, the report was based on systematic global data that was collected up until 2016.

Rising Obesity Rates

There have also been dozens of other research studies in various countries worldwide that have documented the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report noted that this includes reducing physical activity and stimulating more unhealthy eating patterns among the population.

It adds that the period from 2020 to 2022 was filled with extensive restrictions or "lockdowns" in several countries that seem to have increased the risk of weight gain. This resulted from curtailing movements outside of people's homes, exacerbating dietary and sedentary behaviors linked to weight gain, and a significant reduction in people's access to health care, as per the Health Policy Watch.

The report was based on the sum of evidence that showed obesity has been rising the fastest among children and young people. Roughly 10% of boys and 8% of girls in the five to the 19-year age group were considered obese in 2020. The organization estimates that the statistics could double or more by 2035.

The World Obesity Federation also warned that a rise in obesity prevalence would be difficult to reverse. It argued that the situation is a side-effect of managing the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting health protocols.

The report also found that on top of higher risk among the younger generation, low- and middle-income countries have some of the fastest-rising obesity rates. The World Obesity Federation highlighted Niger, Papua New Guinea, Somalia, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic as nations least prepared to address non-communicable diseases resulting from obesity.

Significant Cost to Society

The president of the World Obesity Federation, Louise Baur, described the report as a "clear warning," saying that lawmakers should act immediately to curb the negative impacts of the situation, according to CTV News.

In a statement, Baur noted that what was particularly worrying was that the obesity rates were the fastest among children and adolescents. Child obesity is expected to rise to 208 million boys and 175 million girls by 2035.

The federation warned that rising obesity has a significant cost to society, estimated to be roughly $4 trillion per year by 2035, about 3% of the global GDP of the United States. But the report did not blame the people but focused on the societal, environmental, and biological factors involved.

The World Obesity Federation's report used body mass index (BMI) during its assessments, which is a number that is calculated by dividing an individual's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. Under the federation's guidelines, to be considered overweight, the BMI needs to be over 25 and to be obese, it should be over 30, said Reuters.