A new World Obesity Federation report offers a sad conclusion: by 2035, more than half of the world’s population will be obese or overweight. However, there is an opportunity to avoid this with improved prevention, treatment, and support. If current trends continue, however, childhood obesity rates could double from 2020 figures.
Rates among boys are projected to increase by 100% and among girls by 125%. These would be 208 million and 175 million people, respectively. Childhood obesity rates will rise faster than adult obesity rates, and this is also a worrying trend.
The World Health Organization defines overweight or obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation, posing a high health risk. A body mass index of more than 30 is considered obese. While 1 in 7 people live with this problem today, by 2035, it will be 1 in 4.
Experts speak not only on the spread of unhealthy diets (e.g., fast food) and sedentary lifestyles but also on excessive gambling as the cause of obesity. Among the latter is gambling entertainment, which has recently become more and more accessible thanks to the Internet. For example, Plinko is a game that attracts gambling users with its simplicity and low entry threshold. You can learn more about it on gambling-related websites, such as plinkogames, which has several hundred thousand visits. Here, you can also download apps for playing Plinko. No wonder why obesity rates are rising with the increasing popularity of games like Plinko.
Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation, released a statement on the report. She pointed out that if the obesity problem is not addressed today, it could become much more serious. The rise in obesity rates among adolescents and children is particularly alarming.
Policymakers worldwide must do everything possible to ensure that the younger generations of the future do not experience this problem and its costs. In practice, this means actively engaging young people in tackling obesity now. To do this, we need to encourage healthy habits. For example, gamers should eat a healthy diet, while those with weight problems should visit a nutritionist and exercise.
Although obesity has traditionally been considered a problem in rich countries, it is growing at a higher rate in poor ones. And yet, low-income countries are the least prepared to combat the problem.
The report found that nine of the 10 countries with the most significant expected increases in obesity (among both adults and children) are low-income countries.
Meanwhile, overweight and obesity are risk factors for many diseases, including cardiovascular problems. They provoke diabetes and some cancers. For children, being overweight is a factor that triggers many serious health problems.
BMI is a formula that uses people’s height-to-weight ratio to assess whether they are underweight, normal, or overweight. Many doctors say that you can’t directly measure body fat percentage in this way. Yet, it continues to be used as an inexpensive and straightforward screening method because experts recognize its value despite its shortcomings.
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