The rates of overweight or obese children worldwide are expected to skyrocket, with one in three children and young people aged 5-24 predicted to be overweight or obese by 2050, according to research published in the journal The Lancet. The rates are also expected to be dramatic in Greece.
Specifically, according to the research data, one-third of children and adolescents worldwide are estimated to be overweight (385 million) or obese (360 million) within the next 25 years. The prediction equates to 356 million children aged 5-14 and 390 million young people aged 15-24.
In 2021, 493 million children and adolescents were overweight or obese, a huge increase from 1990 million in 198. The global obesity rate for people aged 5-24 tripled from 1990 to 2021. By 2050, one-third of all obese children and adolescents are expected to live in just two regions: North Africa and the Middle East and Latin America and the Caribbean. The United Arab Emirates, the Cook Islands, Nauru and Tonga are projected to have the highest rates of obese children and adolescents, while China, Egypt, India and the United States will have the highest numbers of obese children and adolescents by 2050.
In Greece, it is predicted that by 2050, 51% of boys and 43% of girls aged 5-14 will be overweight or obese. Among adolescents and young people aged 15-24, it is estimated that the percentage of obese or overweight boys in Greece will be 56%, while among girls it will be 43%.
The researchers say urgent action now could reverse the predictions. They call on governments to take regulatory action, including taxing sugary drinks, banning the advertising of unhealthy foods to children and young people, and funding healthy meals in primary and secondary schools.
60% of adults overweight or obese in 2050
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Furthermore, a second study published in the same journal estimated that approximately 60% of adults worldwide, approximately 3,8 billion people, are expected to be overweight or obese by 2050.
In 2021, an estimated 2,11 billion adults were overweight or obese, up from 1990 million in 731. More than half of the overweight or obese adults in 2021 lived in just eight countries: China, India, the United States, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Egypt. Among high-income countries, the United States had the highest obesity rates, with about 42% of men and 46% of women obese in 2021. The largest increases in overweight and obese adults by 2050 are projected to occur in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to population growth.
However, the largest number of overweight and obese adults in 2050 is expected to be in China, India and the US. The country with the fourth largest population of overweight or obese adults is projected to be Nigeria, whose number of overweight and obese people is expected to skyrocket from 36,6 million in 2021 to 141 million in 2050.
A quarter of obese adults in 2050 are projected to be aged 65 or over, a figure that is expected to strain countries’ health systems. However, the authors note that more recent generations are gaining weight faster than previous generations and obesity is occurring earlier, increasing the risk of complications such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and multiple cancers. For example, in high-income countries, about 7% of men born in the 1960s were living with obesity at age 25, but this figure is about 16% for men born in the 1990s and is projected to reach 25% for men born in 2015.
In Greece, according to the research, in 2021 the percentage of men aged 25 and over who were overweight or obese was 74% and is projected to reach 2050% in 82. For women, the corresponding percentages are 62% for 2021 and 74% for 2050.
It is noted that for adults, overweight is defined as a body mass index of 25-30 kg/m² and obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m² and above. For individuals under 18 years of age, the definitions were based on the criteria of the International Obesity Task Force.
Source: KYPE
