This World Obesity Day: Obesity is now the world’s most common form of malnutrition

3 March 2024, 16:30
Contributor: Linda Ravenhill

To coincide with World Obesity Day, a recent global analysis published in The Lancet has revealed that the total number of children, adolescents, and adults worldwide living with obesity has surpassed one billion. This trend, combined with the declining prevalence of underweight individuals since 1990, marks obesity as the most common form of malnutrition in most countries.

The research, conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), analyzed weight and height measurements from over 220 million people aged five years or older, representing more than 190 countries. 

The study found that from 1990 to 2022, global trends in malnutrition showed a complex interplay between underweight and obesity. The prevalence of underweight and obesity combined decreased in a small percentage of countries for both men and women but increased significantly in the majority. In 2022, the highest combined prevalence was observed in island nations, the Caribbean, Polynesia, Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Obesity surpassed underweight in most countries. Among school-aged children, thinness and obesity combined decreased in a few countries but increased in the majority, with Polynesia, Micronesia, the Caribbean, Chile, and Qatar having the highest prevalence. Notably, thinness remained prevalent in South Asia, such as India and Pakistan, despite a decline. In 2022, obesity was more prevalent than thinness in most countries for both girls and boys. Increases in the double burden were primarily driven by rising obesity rates, while declines were associated with diminishing underweight or thinness. 

In South Africa, the situation presents a mixed picture:
 

Approximately 9.3 million adult women, representing a prevalence of 47.3%, fell within the obese range in 2022. This marks an increase of 21.5 percentage points from 1990, ranking South Africa 25th globally regarding female obesity. Encouragingly, undernutrition in adult females decreased by 3.2 percentage points since 1990, representing a prevalence of 2.2%.

In the male population, South Africa fares slightly better, ranking 151 out of 200 countries, with 2.5 million men classified as obese, representing a prevalence of 14.5%. This marks an increase of 8.8 percentage points from 1990. However, South Africa ranks 8th globally in terms of underweight men, with 1.5 million men having a prevalence of 7.9%. This represents a decrease of 4.4 percentage points from 1990.

In our younger population (19 years and younger), obesity in young girls has increased by 8.3 percentage points since 1990, with a prevalence of 9.1%, placing South Africa 89th on the world rankings. In terms of undernutrition in our young girl population, South Africa has experienced a decrease of 12.7 percentage points since 1990, with a prevalence of 1.7%, ranking 151st.

For young boys in South Africa, obesity has increased to a prevalence of 5.1%, which is an increase of 4.7 percentage points from 1990, ranking 160th globally. However, undernutrition in young boys has significantly decreased by 15.0 percentage points, with a prevalence of 4.8%, leaving South Africa 85th in the ranking.

The study highlights the increasing burden of both forms of malnutrition in most countries, driven by rising obesity rates. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the importance of preventing and managing obesity from early life to adulthood. He stressed the need for evidence-based policies from WHO and national public health agencies and cooperation from the private sector.

Access the original research article

NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) (2024). Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults. Lancet (London, England), S0140-6736(23)02750-2. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02750-2

 

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