Study Every 3rd adult overweight worldwide

Study: One in three adults worldwide is overweight

05/01/2014

A study published on Friday states that nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide - more than a third of adults - are obese or overweight. Especially in developing countries, the number of overweight people is increasing.

1.5 billion people overweight
More than a third of adults worldwide are too fat. These are the findings of a Friday study by the London-based Overseas Development Institute (ODI). It states that 1.46 billion people worldwide, about every third adult, are obese or overweight. The researchers were particularly concerned about the rapidly increasing numbers in developing countries. There, the number of obese and obese almost quadrupled between 1980 and 2008. ODI researcher Steve Wiggins, one of the authors of the „Future Diets report“ called this development „alarming“.

Dramatic increase in developing countries
The number of people affected in developing countries rose from 250 million to 904 million during this period. But even in the richer developed countries, the number increased from 321 million in 1980 to 557 million in 2008. As a limit to obesity is a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25, which in a man of 1.80 meters height of a weight of 81 kilograms equals.

More diseases expected
The strong increase does not correspond to the growth of the world population, because it has only just doubled in the three decades mentioned. According to Wiggins, as a result of these developments around the world, there will be significantly more cases of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, strokes and heart attacks, which „a heavy burden on health systems“ mean.

People eat larger quantities and move less
According to the study, since 1980, China and Mexico have nearly doubled their overweight and obesity rates. According to him, people would eat less and less grain and vegetables, but all the more meat, fat and sugar. People also eat larger amounts of food and at the same time move less and less.

Little willingness to change in developing countries
The researchers also analyzed that both leaders and the population in developing countries would show little willingness to change the situation and promote healthier diets. „Politicians have to give up their reserve when it comes to influencing which food ends up on our plates.“

Biggest increase in Southeast Asia
According to the study, the largest increase in obesity in Southeast Asia was from seven to 22 percent. And in North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, the rate of obesity has now reached the European level of 58 percent. Of the adults in the UK, 64 percent are affected and 70 percent in North America.

South Korean diet recommended
According to the Overseas Development Institute, factors such as the availability of ready-to-eat foods, advertising and media influence, as well as the emergence of a middle class and urban lifestyles are responsible for the larger numbers of overweight people. The diet is shifting from cereals to more fat, sugar, oils and animal products. The scientists recommend a diet as in South Korea. The people there ate about 300 percent more fruit and 10 percent more vegetables in 2009 than in 1980. The reason for this was a large-scale government campaign. (Ad)