From a silent public health issue to a global crisis engulfing over a billion people, world obesity has undergone a staggering transformation in less than fifty years.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity, equating to over 1 billion individuals affected globally
- Worldwide, the prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2022, rising from 4% to 16% in adults
- In 2022, 37 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese globally
- In Pacific Island countries, adult obesity rates exceed 50%, with Nauru at 61% in 2022
- In the WHO European Region, 59% of adults were overweight or obese in 2022, with 23% obese
- Small island developing states have the highest obesity rates globally, averaging 34.5% for adults in 2022
- In 2022, childhood obesity affected 37 million under 5s globally, projected to rise to 4 in 10 by 2030 if trends continue
- Globally, 160 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were obese in 2022, up from 31 million in 1990
- Childhood overweight and obesity rates among children under 5 increased from 5.3% in 2000 to 5.6% in 2022 worldwide
- Globally, adult obesity prevalence increased from 5% to 16% between 1975 and 2022
- From 1990 to 2022, obesity in children under 20 rose from 31 million to 160 million globally
- Worldwide overweight rates in adults rose from 25% in 1990 to 39% in 2022
- Obesity is linked to 4 million deaths annually worldwide in 2022
- Obese individuals have a 50-100% increased risk of premature death from all causes, per 2022 data
- At least 2.8 million adults die each year due to overweight or obesity complications globally
Obesity rates have tripled globally since 1975, now affecting one billion people.
Childhood Obesity
- In 2022, childhood obesity affected 37 million under 5s globally, projected to rise to 4 in 10 by 2030 if trends continue
- Globally, 160 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were obese in 2022, up from 31 million in 1990
- Childhood overweight and obesity rates among children under 5 increased from 5.3% in 2000 to 5.6% in 2022 worldwide
- In 2022, 390 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 were overweight or obese globally
- Boys under 5 had higher overweight rates (6.9%) than girls (5.2%) globally in 2022
- Childhood obesity has increased tenfold in children under 5 since 1975 globally
- In low- and middle-income countries, childhood obesity rose dramatically, with 50 million overweight under 5s in 2022
- Globally, 1 in 8 children and adolescents aged 5-19 were obese in 2022
- Childhood obesity prevalence in Europe reached 20% for adolescents in 2022
- In the US, 20% of children aged 2-19 were obese in 2022
- Globally, severe obesity in children under 5 affected millions, contributing to 5.6% overweight rate in 2022
- Childhood obesity tripled in many countries since 1980, reaching 6% globally under 5s by 2022
- In 2022, over 340 million children aged 5-19 were overweight, including 160 million obese worldwide
- Adolescent obesity globally was 20% in high-prevalence areas in 2022
- In urban settings, childhood obesity rates were 12% higher than rural globally in 2022
- Globally, maternal obesity increased childhood obesity risk by 30% in 2022 cohorts
- Childhood obesity in Pacific islands exceeded 20% for under 5s in 2022
- In China, childhood obesity rose to 10% by 2022 from 2% in 2000
- Brazil saw 15% childhood obesity in 6-9 year olds in 2022
- In India, urban childhood obesity reached 12% in 2022
- UK childhood obesity was 23% in year 6 pupils in 2022
- Globally, 80% of obese adolescents grow into obese adults, per 2022 data
- Childhood obesity contributed to 1.2 million under-5 deaths indirectly in 2022
- In 2022, 37 million under-5s overweight globally, twice as high in Asia as Africa
- Severe obesity in children tripled globally since 1990, to 3% by 2022
- Obesity rates in US children aged 12-19 reached 22% in 2022
- Global childhood obesity trends show 1 in 5 adolescents obese by 2030 projection from 2022 data
- In 2022, 14% of school-aged children globally were overweight or obese
Childhood Obesity Interpretation
We've baked a world where our children are inheriting a future of expanding waistlines instead of expanding horizons, with 1 in 8 already obese and a trajectory pointing to 1 in 5 adolescents by 2030, a grim recipe where the main ingredients are systemic neglect and sugary inaction.
Global Prevalence
- In 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity, equating to over 1 billion individuals affected globally
- Worldwide, the prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2022, rising from 4% to 16% in adults
- In 2022, 37 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese globally
- Over 890 million adults worldwide were classified as obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) in 2022
- The global obesity rate among adults aged 18+ reached 16% in 2022, up from 5% in 1975
- In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight, of which over 650 million were obese globally
- Globally, 39% of adults aged 18 and over were overweight in 2022, and 16% were obese
- In 2022, 6% of adults worldwide (about 100 million women and 50 million men) lived with severe obesity (BMI ≥35 kg/m²)
- The number of obese children, adolescents, and youth under 20 has risen from 31 million in 1990 to 160 million in 2022 globally
- Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, affecting 16% of the adult population in 2022
- In 2022, over 2.5 billion adults were overweight, including 890 million who were obese globally
- Global prevalence of overweight including obesity in children under 5 years was 5.6% in 2022, affecting 37 million children
- In 2020, 5.2% of girls and 6.9% of boys under 5 were overweight or obese worldwide
- Obesity prevalence among adults globally was 13.1% in 2016, rising to 16% by 2022
- In 2022, 14.4% of adults aged 18+ were obese, with higher rates in women at 16.8% compared to men at 12.1%
- Globally, 1 billion people were obese in 2022, representing 16% of adults
- The global obesity prevalence in 2022 stood at 16% for adults, with projections to reach 1 in 4 by 2035
- In 2020, 39% of adults worldwide were overweight or obese
- Global adult obesity rate was 12% in 2015, increasing to 16% by 2022
- In 2019, 13% of the world's adult population was obese
- Worldwide, obesity affected 650 million adults in 2016, rising to over 1 billion by 2022
- Global overweight prevalence (including obesity) was 43% in women and 34% in men in 2022
- In 2022, 16% of the global adult population had obesity, with 6% severely obese
- Obesity rates globally tripled from 4% to 16% between 1975 and 2022
- In 2022, over 37 million children under 5 and 390 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese worldwide
- Global adult obesity prevalence reached 14% in 2019
- In 2022, 890 million adults were obese, making up 16% of the global adult population
- Worldwide, 1 in 5 adults were obese in high-income countries in 2022, contributing to global rates
- Global obesity among adults was 16% in 2022, with 2.5 billion overweight
- In 2022, obesity prevalence globally for adults was 16%, affecting over 1 billion people
Global Prevalence Interpretation
Humanity has collectively supersized itself at an alarming rate, reaching a grim milestone where a staggering one in eight of us now carry the significant health burden of obesity, a number that has nearly tripled since the disco era of 1975.
Health Impacts
- Obesity is linked to 4 million deaths annually worldwide in 2022
- Obese individuals have a 50-100% increased risk of premature death from all causes, per 2022 data
- At least 2.8 million adults die each year due to overweight or obesity complications globally
- Obesity increases type 2 diabetes risk by 7 times, affecting 90% of cases worldwide in 2022
- 44% of diabetes cases, 23% of ischemic heart disease, and 7-41% of cancers are attributable to obesity globally
- Obese people are 3 times more likely to have heart disease or stroke, per 2022 global stats
- Childhood obesity is associated with 40% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood
- Obesity contributes to 65% of chronic diseases globally in 2022
- Severe obesity (BMI≥40) reduces life expectancy by 10 years worldwide
- Obesity-related cancers account for 4-8% of all cancers, killing 380,000 annually globally
- Obese individuals have 2-3 times higher risk of osteoarthritis, per 2022 data
- Maternal obesity increases risks of preeclampsia (2x), gestational diabetes (3-4x) globally
- Obesity triples infertility risk in women and reduces sperm quality in men worldwide
- Obese children have 2x risk of hypertension and high cholesterol as adults
- Globally, obesity causes 1.8 billion lost healthy life years annually in 2022
- Sleep apnea affects 50-70% of obese adults globally
- Obesity increases COVID-19 hospitalization risk by 113% and death by 74%, per 2022 studies
- Fatty liver disease affects 25% of obese people, progressing to cirrhosis in 20%
- Obesity-related depression risk is 55% higher globally
- In 2022, obesity contributed to 4-8% of cancers including breast, colon, and endometrial
- Obese adults have 2.5x higher dementia risk later in life, per global data
Health Impacts Interpretation
While the grim reaper clearly has a favorite side dish, the global data suggests he’s morbidly overindulging, as obesity now serves as the morbidly efficient sous-chef for millions of premature deaths and a staggering buffet of chronic diseases worldwide.
Regional Variations
- In Pacific Island countries, adult obesity rates exceed 50%, with Nauru at 61% in 2022
- In the WHO European Region, 59% of adults were overweight or obese in 2022, with 23% obese
- Small island developing states have the highest obesity rates globally, averaging 34.5% for adults in 2022
- In the Middle East and North Africa, adult obesity prevalence reached 27% in 2022
- Urban areas in low- and middle-income countries saw obesity rates rise to 25% in women by 2022
- In South-East Asia, obesity rates among adults were lowest at 5% in 2022, but overweight reached 22%
- North America had 73% of adults overweight or obese in 2022, with 42% obese in the US
- In Africa, obesity prevalence tripled from 4% to 13% between 1990 and 2022
- The Eastern Mediterranean Region saw adult obesity rates at 27% in 2022, highest in women at 34%
- In Europe, obesity rates varied from 10% in France to 28% in the UK in 2022
- Latin America and the Caribbean had 28% adult obesity prevalence in 2022
- In Asia, urban obesity rates reached 20% in some countries like Qatar (35%) by 2022
- Australia and New Zealand reported 31% adult obesity in 2022
- In the Western Pacific, obesity rates were 10% overall but 50%+ in Pacific islands in 2022
- Sub-Saharan Africa had rising obesity from 3.7% in 1990 to 8.5% in 2022
- China saw adult obesity rise to 7% by 2022 from 1% in 1990
- India had low obesity at 4% but 20% overweight in adults in 2022
- Brazil reported 22% adult obesity in 2022
- In the US, obesity prevalence was 42% in 2022, highest in Southern states
- Egypt had 35% adult obesity in 2022, one of the highest in Africa
- Japan maintained low obesity at 4.5% in adults in 2022
- Mexico had 33% adult obesity in 2022
- In the UK, 28% of adults were obese in 2022
- Saudi Arabia reported 35% adult obesity in 2022
Regional Variations Interpretation
The globe is collectively failing the dress rehearsal for our health, with Pacific islands drowning in a 61% obesity rate while ironically, the world's wealthiest nations are too big to fail, literally.
Trends Over Time
- Globally, adult obesity prevalence increased from 5% to 16% between 1975 and 2022
- From 1990 to 2022, obesity in children under 20 rose from 31 million to 160 million globally
- Worldwide overweight rates in adults rose from 25% in 1990 to 39% in 2022
- Obesity in women globally increased 2-fold from 1990 to 2022, reaching 16.8%
- Since 1980, global obesity rates tripled in adults and quadrupled in children, to 2022 levels
- From 1975 to 2022, severe obesity rose from almost non-existent to 6% globally
- Global obesity is projected to affect 1 in 4 adults by 2035, based on 2022 trends
- Between 2010 and 2022, obesity rates increased by 20% in low-income countries
- From 2000 to 2022, childhood overweight under 5s rose from 32 million to 37 million globally
- Obesity in men doubled from 6% to 12% between 1990 and 2022 worldwide
- Since 1975, obesity in adolescents tripled to 20% in high-income countries by 2022
- Global severe obesity increased eightfold in women from 1975 to 2022
- From 1990 to 2022, obesity rates in Africa rose from 4% to 13%
- In China, obesity rose from 0.7% in 1985 to 7% in 2022
- US adult obesity increased from 30% in 2000 to 42% in 2022
- UK obesity rates rose from 15% in 1993 to 28% in 2022
- Globally, obesity growth slowed post-2010 but still rose 1% annually to 2022
- From 2000 to 2022, overweight in under-5s increased by 11% globally
- Obesity in India grew from 1% to 4% between 1990 and 2022
- Brazil's obesity rate doubled from 11% to 22% from 2006 to 2022
- Global projections show obesity reaching 20% by 2030 from 16% in 2022
- Since 1990, Pacific islands saw obesity rise 15% on average to 2022
- In Europe, obesity increased 5% from 2010 to 2022
- Global adult BMI rose 1.2 kg/m² from 1975 to 2022
- Childhood obesity in low-income countries increased 5-fold since 1990 to 2022
- From 1980 to 2022, global obesity shifted from high-income to all countries
Trends Over Time Interpretation
The global waistline is expanding at such an alarming rate that, statistically speaking, humanity appears to be engaged in a collective and misguided race to outgrow its own planet.
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