The Obesity Epidemic: A growing challenge

Obesity has become a major public health challenge in the 21st century. It is estimated that there are more than 300 million obese people in the world. Obesity is basically a condition having excess body fat than required.

World Health Organisation (WHO) defines Obesity and Overweight as

•          a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight
•          a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity.

Body mass index (BMI) represents a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to categorise overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters.

Worldwide scenario

A recent study ‘Global Burden of Disease’ published in Lancet medical journal revealed that one of every three people, or almost 2.1 billion of the world’s population is either obese or overweight. The study analysed data from 188 countries between 1990 and 2013.According to the study, 13% of the obese people in the world are in the US and 15% in China and India.

The study further highlighted that from 1980 and 2013, the number of overweight or obese children and adolescents has increased by nearly 50%. Developing countries recorded high levels of childhood obesity. More than half of the world’s 671 million obese people live in 10 countries namely, the US, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Germany, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Third highest obese live in India

According to a latest study mapping global malnutrition patterns has revealed that India has the third highest number of obese and overweight people, which accounts for 11 percent of adolescents, 20 percent of all adults, after US and China. The study highlighted data from more than 30 countries representing low, middle and high incomes.

WHO has analysed some key facts regarding the present globesity trends;

• Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980
• Most of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more   people than underweight.
• In developing countries with emerging economies, the rate of increase of childhood overweight and obesity has been more than 30% higher than that of the developed countries.

The fundamental cause behind this exponential increase of obese and overweight people is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. Globally, there has beenan increased intake of foods that are high in fat andequally an increase in physical inactivity due to the increasingly changing lifestyle, tight work environment and increasing urbanization.

Consequences of obesity

Obesity increases the risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as;

• cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke)
• diabetes
• musculoskeletal disorders (degenerative diseases of joints)
• some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).

Children and obesity: Major public health issue

Childhood obesity is on alarming increase in urban India. Interestingly, in India, we see both malnutrition and obesity in two different strata of the society.The rising cause of childhood obesity is a drastic change in food habits – consumption of energy rich, nutritionally poor foods and lack of physical activity contributes to an increase in calories as compared to the requirement. Low levels of physical activity, watching television, and consuming junk foods are associated with a higher prevalence of being overweight.

What to do

 At the individual level one can;

•         limit energy intake from total fats and sugars
•         increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts
•         engage in regular physical activity 

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WHO response

• In 2004, World Health Assembly adopted a global strategy on ‘Diet, Physical Activity and Health’ to promote healthy diets and regular physical activity.
• WHO has also developed the "Global Action Plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases 2013-2020" which aims to progress on nine global NCD targets to be completed in 2025 and a halting of the global obesity rates to those of 2010
• In response to childhood obesity in particular, WHO has established the high-level Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO), which will raise awareness and build momentum for action to address the same issue

This issue needs urgent attention throughout the world. Especially developing countries, where it is increasing at an alarming rate, need to address the issue by raising much awareness and making desired health policy changes.

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