Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic

Researchers warn against the spread of obesity and obesity

26.08.2011

Overweight and obesity are currently developing into a veritable epidemic worldwide. Like the British journal „The Lancet“ In an editorial, a total of more than two billion people are overweight or obese.

Obesity and obesity are developing at a greater risk to health worldwide than smoking, the authors explain. However, while the international community has issued a framework convention on reducing the health consequences of tobacco use, comparable regulations regarding overweight and obesity control are completely absent, according to the medical journal.

Two billion people overweight or obese
The authors therefore call for a much stricter approach by governments worldwide against the spread of obesity. Recent studies by Australian researchers at the University of Melbourne have revealed that more than 1.5 billion adults worldwide are overweight and another 500 million are already considered obese. In addition, according to the Australian studies, 170 million overweight or obese children. Overall, more than two billion people suffer from weight problems that can affect their health - and rising. The international community must therefore take radical steps against overweight and obesity, so the claim in the editorial of the journal „The Lancet“. The United Nations (UN) should strongly oppose the prevalence of overweight and obesity by adopting measures similar to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, according to the authors. Because without state leadership, the epidemic of overweight is no longer to control, so the representations of the experts in the prestigious British journal.

In some states, such as the US, New Zealand or Australia, adispositas is the largest preventable health threat today, according to the editorial. The health problems caused by weight problems are more widespread than the consequences of tobacco consumption. However, the proportion of overweight people in the population varies greatly internationally. For example, in the US, one-third of women have a body mass index (BMI) above 30, compared with only one in 20 women in Japan and China „The Lancet“. The BMI reflects the ratio of body weight to height. From a BMI over 25 people are considered overweight, from 30 as obese. The phenomenon occurs today, according to the British journal, not only in modern industrial nations, but also in countries with low or middle income per capita.

Measures to control overweight and obesity required
Among other things, the World Health Organization cites an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, damage to the blood vessels and calcified arteries as possible health consequences of overweight and obesity. In addition, according to the WHO, the risk of diabetes and dementia, as well as heart attacks and strokes is increasing. According to the experts, the reason for the steadily rising number of people affected is above all a lack of exercise and a poor diet. For example, scientists at Boston's Harvard School of Public Health are calling for additional taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages. Also, advertising for unhealthy foods should be regulated to avoid further spread of obesity, according to the experts. The scientists urge that urgent consideration be given to the epidemic-like spread of overweight and obesity at the UN meeting in September and that appropriate countermeasures be taken. (Fp)

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Image: Thommy Weiss