The figure is alarming.
In its annual report, the World Obesity Federation claims that more than half the population will be overweight or obese by 2035 if governments do not act to reverse the trend.
Today, 2.6 billion people are already in this situation, which represents 38% of the world's population.
If the trend continues, this figure should exceed four billion people within 12 years.
Several factors involved: the climate emergency, the confinements due to Covid-19, chemical pollutants, the composition and promotion of unhealthy foods as well as the behavior of the food industry.
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Many countries are affected by this rise in obesity, especially the poorest.
They are also the least prepared to face this disease.
Nine of the ten countries expected to experience the largest increases in the coming years are low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia.
According to the president of the federation, Professor Louise Baur, this report is a clear warning: "
By not tackling obesity today, we risk serious repercussions in the future
".
“
It is particularly worrying that obesity rates are increasing more rapidly among children and adolescents
,” she warned.
The federation then asks governments for coordinated measures as part of an international response.
Several avenues are mentioned: a taxation system;
restrictions on the marketing of foods high in fat, salt or sugar;
front-of-package labels and the provision of healthy foods in schools.
Especially since the global cost of obesity is also expected to skyrocket, from $1.96 billion in 2019 to $4.32 billion in 2035, which would equate to 3% of global GDP – a comparable sum. to the economic damage caused by the Covid-19 -, estimates the federation.
WHAT in France?
In France, obesity has continued to increase in recent years, with a particularly marked increase among the youngest adults.
According to an Inserm study published on February 20, 2022, carried out by survey of around 10,000 people representative of the population, nearly half of French people -47%- weigh too much compared to medical recommendations.
Among them, a sixth of the French (17%) would be obese, that is to say at a level of weight considered unhealthy as opposed to simply being overweight.
They therefore noticed that the rise in obesity particularly affected 18-24 year olds.
The latter are, in absolute terms, the least affected age group with one-tenth -9.2%- obese, but this share has quadrupled over the past twenty years.
Another notable conclusion, obesity is more or less common depending on the region: it affects more than 20% of people questioned in Hauts-de-France or Grand Est.
This geographical distribution corresponds in particular to socio-economic realities, with the poorest regions tending to be more affected.
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