Urgent Global Action Needed as Obesity Expected to Affect Over 50% by 2050

2025-03-04 prevention

Global, Tuesday, 4 March 2025.
By 2050, over half of adults and a third of youth worldwide will be overweight or obese, posing a major public health challenge needing innovative strategies.

Current Global Obesity Landscape

As of 2021, the global obesity crisis has reached unprecedented levels with 1.00 billion adult males and 1.11 billion adult females classified as overweight or obese [2]. The most significant concentration of cases exists in eight countries, with China (402 million), India (180 million), and the United States (172 million) leading the statistics [1]. The global prevalence of obesity has shown alarming growth, with male obesity rates increasing by 155.1% and female rates by 104.9% compared to 1990 levels [2].

Regional Disparities and Future Projections

The North Africa and Middle East region has experienced the most dramatic increase, with obesity rates more than tripling in males and doubling in females [2]. By 2050, forecasts indicate that 3.80 billion adults worldwide will be living with overweight or obesity [1][2]. Particularly concerning is the projection for sub-Saharan Africa, which is expected to see a 254.8% increase in adults with overweight and obesity, with Nigeria alone forecast to reach 141 million cases by 2050 [2].

Youth Impact and Healthcare Implications

The crisis significantly affects younger populations, with obesity rates in children and younger teenagers rising from 8.8% to 18.1% between 1990 and 2021 [3]. The trend among younger adults under 25 is equally concerning, showing an increase from 9.9% to 20.3% during the same period [3]. Nearly a quarter of the world’s obese adult population in 2050 is projected to be aged 65 or above, presenting significant challenges for healthcare systems [1].

Global Response and Prevention Strategies

In response to this crisis, the World Health Organization launched its Technical Package to Stop Obesity on March 4, 2025, focusing on three key interventions: adapting environments for healthy lifestyles, creating knowledge and skills for healthy behaviors, and transforming health systems to address the obesity crisis [7]. The World Obesity Atlas 2025, released on March 2, 2025, provides comprehensive data and national scorecards for 199 countries, offering evidence-based frameworks for policymakers to implement effective interventions [6].

Bronnen

Obesity Public Health