Since 1990, obesity has emerged as the predominant form of malnutrition in numerous countries, experiencing a surge across all demographics, including men, women, children, and adolescents. Specifically, the incidence of obesity in adult males has almost tripled, while the prevalence among women has doubled during the same period. Alarmingly, the obesity rates among children and adolescents have seen a fourfold increase. By 2022, the global count of obese individuals will reach approximately 880 million adults and 160 million children.
The NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, an international collective of health researchers dedicated to assessing and disseminating data on key risk factors affecting countries worldwide, detailed this global malnutrition landscape in partnership with the World Health Organization. Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, serving as Associate Executive Director of Population and Public Health Sciences, contributed to this significant report.
The collaborative effort involved scrutinizing body mass index (BMI) data from over 3,600 studies from 1990 to 2022. This extensive review aimed to chart malnutrition trends attributable to obesity or being underweight across various nations and observe the shifts over the years.
Dr. Katzmarzyk expressed concern over the current obesity trends, which have been upward for over thirty years. Highlighting the importance of addressing obesity within a broader health context, he pointed out the direct correlation between obesity and various comorbidities such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obstructive sleep apnea. He stressed the necessity of understanding obesity’s underlying causes to devise effective prevention, treatment, and reversal strategies for its adverse impacts.
Among the 190-plus countries included in the study, the United States was notably high on the list for obesity prevalence, ranking 10th for men and 36th for women, with significant increases observed since 1990. The rates among American boys and girls also climbed, with the U.S. ranking 26th and 22nd globally.
The findings underline the escalating issue of obesity at both the national and state levels, exemplified by Louisiana, where 38% of adults were reported to be obese in 2020, according to County Health Rankings and Roadmaps.
Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical, underscored the study’s findings’ alignment with the institution’s mission. He reaffirmed Pennington Biomedical’s dedication to advancing metabolic health, combating metabolic diseases, uncovering obesity triggers, and enhancing overall health. Dr. Kirwan also commended Dr. Katzmarzyk’s contribution to this pivotal global analysis.
Conversely, the study period also saw a decline in the rates of underweight individuals among children, adolescents, and adults worldwide, with a notable decrease in underweight men within certain African countries. Interestingly, in two-thirds of the world’s nations, obesity rates now exceed those of being underweight among boys and girls, highlighting the dual burden of malnutrition.
The study titled “International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment,” spearheaded by Pennington Biomedical and involving over 6,000 children from every inhabited continent, is one of many that have informed these findings. It illustrates the comprehensive effort to understand and address the global obesity epidemic.
More information: Peter T. Katzmarzyk et al, Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults, The Lancet. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02750-2
Journal information: The Lancet Provided by Pennington Biomedical Research Center
