Experts Warn: More Than Half of the World's Population Soon Overweight

This is the result of a new study by the medical journal "The Lancet" for 204 countries and regions. The calculations also include Austria.

The extremely negative trend in many health aspects began a long time ago, and decisive countermeasures have always been lacking, according to the authors: "The most comprehensive global analysis to date assumes that the rates of overweight and obesity among adults (aged 25 and older) as well as among children and adolescents (aged five to 24) have more than doubled in the past three decades (1990 to 2021) and in 2021 affected 2.11 billion adults and 493 million young people worldwide."

Overweight and Obesity: China, India, USA Particularly Affected

While the trend towards more overweight and obesity is occurring worldwide, some countries are particularly affected in terms of numbers. The current situation according to the renowned medical journal: "More than half of all overweight or obese adults worldwide lived in just eight countries in 2021 - China (402 million), India (180 million), the USA (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (58 million), Indonesia (52 million), and Egypt (41 million)."

Currently, there is no change in trends in sight. The experts state: "Without urgent political reforms and measures, forecasts suggest that by 2050, around 60 percent of all adults (3.8 billion) and one-third (31 percent) of all children and adolescents (746 million) will suffer from either overweight or obesity."

Additionally, by 2050, around a quarter of the overweight and obese will be over 65 years old. "This will further exacerbate the burden on already overstrained healthcare systems and have devastating consequences for healthcare in countries with limited resources," according to "Lancet".

A very similar problem will also arise among children, adolescents, and young adults. By 2050, forecasts suggest that every third young person (130 million) in just two regions - North Africa and the Middle East, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean - will suffer from obesity. This could also have devastating health, economic, and social consequences, as the scientists note.

Unprecedented Global Epidemic of Overweight and Obesity

"The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a major tragedy and a monumental societal failure," said the lead author of the study, Emmanuela Gakidou from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington (USA).

The study also includes data and calculations for Austria: In 1990, according to these figures, 36.6 percent of women were overweight or obese. In 2021, this proportion was 48.3 percent. The forecast for 2050 is 57.8 percent. The rate of overweight or obesity for Austrian men: 50.3 percent (1990), 60.6 percent in 2021, with a prediction for 2050 of 67.8 percent.

Austria Not in the Leading Group

Austria is therefore not in the leading group. It is noticeable that comparable countries, which were previously less affected by overweight and obesity, show even stronger increases: In Greece, the rate of overweight/obese women could rise to 66.8 percent by 2050, and among men even to 82.5 percent.

Countries in the Pacific, South America, and the Middle East are particularly affected. By 2050, 94 percent of those over 25 in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Syria are expected to be overweight or obese, as well as in Nauru, and similarly in Tonga (93 percent).

In countries with a high gross national product, by 2050, 88 percent of men in Chile, 83 percent of Australians, 82 percent of Greeks, and 81 percent each of Americans and New Zealanders are likely to be overweight or obese (women: 86 percent of Chilean women, 82 percent of American women, 80 percent of Argentine women, and 76 percent of Australian women).

(APA/Red)

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