The number of adults living with obesity will rise from 0.81 billion in 2020 to 1.53 billion in 2035 according to the 2024 World Obesity Atlas.

The report showed that about 79 per cent of adults with overweight and obese conditions will live in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) by 2035.

Obesity is a chronic complex disease defined by excessive fat deposits that can impair health. Obesity can lead to increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, it can affect bone health and reproduction, it increases the risk of certain cancers. Obesity influences the quality of living, such as sleeping or moving.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, while adolescent obesity has quadrupled.

The global health body noted that in 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 years and older) were overweight. Of these, 890 million were living with obesity.

Also, over 390 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were overweight in 2022, including 160 million who were living with obesity.

A BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. In 2019, an estimated five million Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) deaths were caused by higher-than-optimal BMI.

In 2020, Nigeria accounted for over 12 million persons estimated to be obese with prevalence considerably higher in women.

The new report has shown that the number of adults grappling with obesity will increase by the year 2035 if no significant action is taken.

The report reads in part: “In reality, rather than a zero increase, the World Obesity Atlas 2022 estimated that global obesity is likely to have doubled over this time.

“By 2035, over half the world’s population will be above a healthy weight. The majority of these people will be in middle-income countries, where obesity is often poorly understood, and capacity is lacking to address it.”

The report indicates that over 65 per cent of adults who live with obesity globally were living in LMIC in 2020, and this is expected to rise to 7 in 10 adults with obesity in 2030.

With focus on Nigeria, the report noted that there is currently a 5.5 per cent annual growth rate in the projected numbers of adults with high Body Max Index (BMI) 2020-2035.

It also revealed an 8.0 per cent annual growth rate in the projected numbers of children with high BMI (2020–2035).

The report noted that in 2019, over 37,000 persons in Nigeria died from stroke due to high BMI while 25,000 persons died from coronary heart disease linked to high BMI. 12,500 persons also died from diabetes linked to high BMI.

Commenting on the report, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the World Obesity Federation, Johanna Ralston observed that the report underscores how factors driving economic development are contributing to obesity trends.

She noted that the release of the 2024 Global Atlas highlights the imperative for a paradigm shift in our approach to tackling obesity.

“We need to stop false tradeoffs between food and health, young and old, developed and developing countries, and recognize this is a serious, global challenge that calls for multisectoral solutions and coordinated action,” she said.

On his part, the Director of the Healthier Societies Programme at the George Institute for Global Health, Prof Kent Buse stated that the barriers to healthy and affordable foods, to active transport and much-needed medical support are not limited to what people likely consider to be ‘rich’ countries.

He noted that it is a common misconception that obesity – and its myriad health implications – are only limited to certain countries in the Global North.

“The projections in the Global Atlas make very clear what the alternative is and it is a frightening prospect,” he said.