By 2050, more than half of the world’s adults and approximately one-third of children and young people will be overweight or obese, according to research findings.
On March 3rd (local time), the British daily The Guardian reported that a research team from the University of Washington published these findings in the medical journal The Lancet. The report highlighted the global failure to respond to the increasing obesity crisis over the past 30 years, resulting in a staggering rise in the number of affected individuals.
According to the study, there are currently 2.11 billion adults over the age of 25 who are overweight or obese. Additionally, there are 493 million children and young people aged 5 to 24 who are overweight or obese. These numbers have increased from 731 million and 198 million, respectively, in 1990.
Without urgent policy reforms and actions, the research team predicts that by 2050, more than half (3.8 billion) of the global population over the age of 25 and about one-third (746 million) of the total child and young population will be affected.
The obesity rates among children and the young are expected to rise dramatically. By 2050, the number of obese children and young people is expected to reach 360 million. Specifically, among children aged 5 to 14, the obesity rate is projected to increase from 12% in 2021 to 18.4% in 2050.
The increase in overweight and obesity will lead to diseases and premature death, posing an “unprecedented threat” that will place a massive burden on healthcare systems, the researchers have warned.
By 2050, nearly one-quarter of the world’s obese adult population will be aged 65 or older, further burdening already overstressed healthcare systems. Countries with limited healthcare resources are expected to suffer significant impacts on their medical services.
The research team warns that especially because global children are gaining weight more rapidly and developing obesity earlier than past generations, the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer occurring at younger ages is increasing.
Emanuela Gakidou, the lead author of the paper from the University of Washington, stated, “The unprecedented epidemic of overweight and obesity worldwide is a serious tragedy and a monumental social failure.”