Obesity epidemic' splits the world in two: Slowing in rich countries, surging in poorer ones

"For 40 years, the world has been under the grip of a global obesity epidemic — a surge in excess weight that raises the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological diseases. The scientific community coined the term epidemic in the 1990s in response to the rising prevalence of obesity, and it has persisted ever since to describe what is now considered one of the major threats to global health. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls it globesity."

"The study finds that while obesity is more widespread today than at the end of the 20th century, its growth has slowed — or even reversed in recent years — in the world's wealthier regions. In poorer countries, however, it continues to rise sharply. The finding that obesity is following different paths across the world provides a ray of hope in the face of this global threat."

"The scientists argue that the trend towards obesity is not inevitable and attribute the slowdown of the epidemic in wealthier countries to a mix of social, economic, and technological factors affecting access to different types of food. This offers a more optimistic picture that progress is being made and challenges the widely accepted view that we're experiencing a global epidemic of obesity — which may be an oversimplification of the diversity of the situation in different countries."

"As for the emergence of breakthrough weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, the authors believe they are too recent to have influenced trends so far, but expect them to play an important role in the future trajectory of obesity prevalence."

Obesity has increased for decades and raises risks for cancer, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological diseases. WHO refers to the condition as “globesity,” and public understanding often frames it as a non-infectious pandemic spreading worldwide. New research finds obesity is more common today than at the end of the 20th century, but its growth has slowed or reversed in wealthier regions. In poorer countries, obesity continues to rise sharply. Different regional trajectories indicate the trend is not uniform across the globe. The slowdown in wealthier areas is linked to social, economic, and technological factors that affect access to different types of food. Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic are considered too recent to have shaped current trends, but they may influence future prevalence.

Read at english.elpais.com