These statistics reveal a rapid increase in this affliction in countries with low and middle-income as reported by the French Press Agency.

A new study published in the British scientific journal The Lancet, which the World Health Organization contributed to, showed that obesity rates among adults had more than doubled worldwide between 1990 and 2022, and quadrupled among children and teenagers aged between 5 and 19 years old.

During a press conference, Professor Francesco Branca, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety at the World Health Organization, observed that this "epidemic" is spreading "faster than expected." Previous projections suggested that the threshold of one billion people suffering from obesity would be reached around the year 2030, according to Professor Majid Ezzati from Imperial College London, one of the study's lead authors.

The study, which relied on data from about 220 million people in more than 190 countries, indicated that the number of obese people has risen from 195 million adults in 1990 to approximately 880 million, including 504 million women and 374 million men.

Obesity rates among men have nearly tripled, rising from 4.8 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2022, and more than doubled among women from 8.8 percent to 18.5 percent, with variations among countries.

Even more troubling is that the number of children and teenagers affected by this condition has risen from 31 million in 1990 to about 160 million in 2022, including 94 million boys and 65 million girls.

Global Problem

Obesity, a complex chronic condition with multiple contributing factors, is linked to an increased mortality rate due to other diseases like heart and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic exemplified this, as excess weight was recognized as a risk factor.

The study noted that obesity rates in some low or middle-income countries, particularly in Polynesia and Micronesia, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and North Africa, are higher than those recorded in many industrialized countries, especially in Europe.

Branca commented, "In the past, obesity was considered a problem for wealthy nations, but now it has become a global issue." He attributed the cause particularly to a "rapid transition, not for the better, in dietary patterns in low and middle-income countries."

On the other hand, several indicators in the study pointed to "a decline in obesity, particularly among women, in some Southern European countries, most notably Spain and France," according to Majid Ezzati.

The study also highlighted that "the number of people suffering from obesity is greater in most countries than those suffering from underweight," which has been decreasing since 1990.

Nevertheless, underweight remains a significant issue in many parts of the world, including South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa. It is linked with higher mortality rates among women and small children before and after birth and an increased risk of dying from infectious diseases.

Double Burden

Many low and middle-income countries are experiencing the "double burden" that comes with malnutrition and obesity; a segment of their population still does not get a sufficient number of calories, while another no longer faces this problem, yet their diet is poor in quality.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, stated that "this study highlights the importance of preventing and managing obesity from an early age through adulthood, via diet, physical activity, and sufficient health care."

He noted that "getting back on track to meet global goals for reducing obesity will require the work of governments and communities, supported by evidence-based policies from the World Health Organization and national public health agencies," calling for private sector cooperation "who needs to be responsible for the health impacts of their products."

The World Health Organization noted that necessary measures to "contain" the problem are not adequately implemented, such as taxing sugary drinks, promoting healthy foods, limiting unhealthy food marketing to children, encouraging physical activity, and so forth.

Treatments for obesity have entered a new era over the past several months; specific medications for diabetes have been proven effective in weight reduction, sparking hopes among millions of patients and igniting competition in the pharmaceutical field.

Francesco Branca considered "these medications are an important tool, but not a solution" for obesity and its prevention. He emphasized the need to "consider the side or long-term effects of these medications."