A new report warns that more than half of adults worldwide (3.8 billion) will be overweight or obese by 2050, posing a significant threat to public health. According to the study, published in the Lancet, over 2.11 billion adults aged 25 or above and 493 million children and young people are already overweight or obese.
The report highlights that global failures in responding to the growing obesity crisis have led to a staggering increase in affected individuals over the past three decades. If urgent policy reform and action are not taken, an additional 360 million children and younger people will be predicted to suffer from obesity by 2050.
The impact of obesity is expected to be most severe in low-resource countries, where healthcare systems are already under strain. The report warns that nearly a quarter of the world’s obese adult population (130 million) will be aged 65 or above, intensifying the pressure on healthcare services.
Experts warn that children everywhere are gaining weight faster than previous generations, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer at a younger age. The report also notes that obesity is occurring earlier, with some countries experiencing an alarming rise in childhood obesity rates.
The Lancet study predicts that by 2050, about one in three children and young people living with obesity will be concentrated in two regions: North Africa and the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The report’s lead author, Prof Emmanuela Gakidou, described the obesity crisis as a “profound tragedy” and a “monumental societal failure.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/03/more-than-half-of-adults-worldwide-obese-by-2050-report-says