One Billion People Globally Estimated to be Living with Obesity by 2030

Call for Global Action Plan on Obesity at World Health Assembly in May 2022

• The World Obesity Atlas 2022, published by the World Obesity Federation, predicts that one billion people globally, including 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men, will be living with obesity by 2030.
• The findings highlight that countries will not only miss the 2025 WHO target to halt the rise in obesity at 2010 levels, but that the number of people with obesity is on course to double across the globe.
• The greatest number of people living with obesity are in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with numbers more than doubling across all LMICs, and tripling in low income countries, compared to 2010.
• The report presents a new Obesity-Non Communicable Disease (NCD) Preparedness Index, showing that the 30 most prepared countries are all high income, while the 30 least prepared countries are all lower middle and low income countries, adding to concerns about the impact of inaction on already vulnerable populations.
• There is a global call to end the misunderstanding, fragmentation, underinvestment in and stigmatisation of obesity that is driving this systemic failure; governments around the world must work with WHO to develop a comprehensive Global Action Plan on Obesity.

The World Obesity Federation today published its fourth World Obesity Atlas, which this year provides predictions for the prevalence of obesity in men, women and children in 2030 and presents a new index for ranking countries in terms of their preparedness for obesity, including their health systems.

Published on World Obesity Day, a global awareness day calling for action to address the impact of obesity, the Atlas report estimates that by 2030 a billion people globally will be living with obesity.

Johanna Ralston, CEO World Obesity Federation said:

“It is clear we will not meet the 2025 UN targets to halt the rise of obesity, however we do have reasons to be optimistic. Every year we are increasing our scientific understanding of obesity, more people than ever are demanding action in their communities, and the recent momentum on securing WHO led coordination through a Global Action Plan on Obesity means we should remain hopeful. But the missed opportunity of the last decade should be a warning that success will only come if we all work together and invest in implementing and supporting comprehensive actions to prevent, manage and treat obesity throughout the life course.”

It is also notable that half of all women with obesity live in 11 countries: USA, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan. At the same time, half of all men with obesity live in 9 countries: USA, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Egypt, Germany and Turkey. Of these countries, the USA has the highest prevalence for men and Egypt the highest for women.

Especially concerning are the countries that feature in both the top 20 rankings for prevalence and number of people living with obesity projections; namely USA, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Calling for a Global Action Plan on Obesity

In response to the report’s findings, global health experts and advocates have made a united call for a Global Action Plan on Obesity through an open letter to health leaders, ahead of the World Health Assembly in May 2022.

Over 150 individuals have signed the letter to date, including World Obesity Federation President, Professor John Wilding, with their shared voice stating:

“For too long we have all failed on obesity, and have witnessed generations of misunderstanding, fragmentation, underinvestment in and stigmatisation of obesity and those affected by it. As a result, the world is catastrophically now off track to meet the WHO 2025 obesity targets which all world leaders committed to in 2013. It is time to deliver a comprehensive, cohesive and integrated approach to prevent and treat obesity.”

The Global Action Plan on obesity would bring together existing actions, including WHO’s draft recommendations and wider work to develop an Acceleration Plan on obesity in priority countries, under one framework. The plan should put individuals at the centre, cover prevention and treatment across the life course, be adaptable for different contexts and serve as the backbone for national action on obesity.

ENDS