A new study published in The Lancet projects that the proportion of the population who are overweight or obese will continue to climb.
By the year 2050, more than half of all adults and a third of children and young people worldwide will be considered obese or overweight. The report says the trend poses an “unparalleled threat” in terms of the proliferation of disease, early death, and the burden on healthcare systems.
This is not the first report to predict worsening obesity challenges.
Last year, The Dallas Express reported on a study that predicts 260 million people in the United States will be classified as overweight or obese by 2050. This is despite the growing popularity of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Texas has been battling an obesity epidemic for quite some time. In 2019-2020, more than 20% of Texas children aged 10 through 17 were classified as obese.
Globally, more than 2.1 billion adults aged 25 and up and 493 million children and young people aged five to 24 are either overweight or obese. This is an increase from 731 million and 198 million, respectively, in 1990.
By the middle of the century, the number of overweight or obese adults age 25 and up is expected to hit 3.8 billion, while the number of children and young people under either classification is forecast to reach 746 million.
“The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure,” said lead author Prof. Emmanuela Gakidou from the University of Washington, per The Guardian.
According to the researchers, the problem is particularly concerning among children. This demographic has been experiencing faster weight gain than prior generations, with obesity occurring earlier in life.
The result? Higher risks of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and heart diseases, all at a younger age.
Looking at the trend, for example, we know that around 7% of men born in the 1960s in high-income countries were obese by the time they reached age 25. For the same demographic born in the 1990s, 16% were obese by age 25.
Now, researchers forecast that 25% of men born in 2015 will eventually be obese by age 25.