home
RSS
Study: World is getting fatter, needs to stop
August 25th, 2011
06:30 PM ET

Study: World is getting fatter, needs to stop

The problem of obesity is spreading around the world and poses serious health threats.  The finding is part of a new special report on obesity, and how to combat it in the medical journal the Lancet.   The editor, Dr. Richard Horton, calls obesity a pandemic, and said it is one of the “huge threats facing governments which are likely to derail all their best attempts to improve the health of their nations while at the same time controlling costs.”

Obesity Around the World
The first study says nearly 1.5 billion adults in the world are overweight, and half a billion more are obese.  Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) more than 30.  That’s equivalent to an adult who's 5 feet 6 inches weighing more than 185 pounds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s BMI calculator. 

“It is occurring in just about all countries, apart from the lowest income countries,” says Professor Boyd Swinburn, with the World Health Organizations Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention in Melbourne, Australia.  “There is quite a lot of evidence now coming out that this is being driven by changes in the food system,” he says. “The food supply: increasingly processed, available, affordable and highly promoted tasty food.”

The Lancet report says that the obesity rates for different countries vary dramatically due to environmental factors in those countries.  For example, they found “traditionally high levels of active transport," specifically bicycling, in the Netherlands contributed to a lower rate.  Only 1 in 10 women there were categorized as obese, while high levels of car use in the U.S. contributed to obesity.  In the United States one in three women are rated as obese.

The authors believe that the most effective way to stop obesity is governmental policies, including things like banning unhealthy food for children, shifting agricultural policies to promote health.

The report  also said trade "liberalization"  is  contributing to "global overconsumption."  The authors say that these kinds of governmental changes can be easier to sustain and more effective than other options to reduce obesity, though, as Swindon says, “There seems much more a willingness to spend money in drugs and surgery and health promotion programs, which work much more downstream, than there is to deal with the underlying cause right upstream.”

The Future of Obesity
Obesity is on the increase, and nations who fail to stop it could face consequences, according to the second study included in the Lancet’s series.

The report says that  following current trends, there could be 65 million more obese adults in the U.S.  and 11 million more obese adults in the United Kingdom by 2030.  Obesity can cause diseases including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain forms of cancer.

"If these trends continue, by 2030 50% (of) U.S. Men and 45% to 52% (of) U.S. women will be obese,” says Dr. Y Claire Wang of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, one of the authors of this study.

The report says that as obesity goes up, so will the amount of money spent treating people who suffer from it.  Wang adds, “In many cases being overweight at age 50 will not only double but actually triple or quadruple the incident rate for many diseases.”  In the next 20 years, the report concludes, obesity could result in   6–8.5 million cases of diabetes, 5.6–7.3 million cases of  cardiovascular diseases, and more than half a million new cancers in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Wang anticipates that by 2030 the cost to treat people for these diseases in the U.S. will be about $66 billion a year, and 2 billion pounds a year in the U.K.

A Better Model for Weight Loss
Another part of the Lancet’s special report looks at how people can lose weight.

Many recommendations for weight loss suggest that people will slowly and continuously lose weight if they cut 500 calories a day from their diet.  Dr. Kevin Hall of the U.S. National Institutes of Health says it doesn’t really work that way.  He put it bluntly: “Let me be very clear.  This is wrong.  This does not happen.”  Hall says it would be true if your metabolism didn’t change, but we know it does.

In his report, the team created a computer program that could eventually be used by clinicians to model weight loss.  Team members say their program is a more accurate model and accounts for initial body composition and changes in metabolism as you diet.  The computer’s predicted weight loss is significantly less than other formulas suggested, but the authors believe it’s much more realistic.

Governmental Action
The final report in the series says governments must take the initiative in battling obesity.

“Governments certainly need to lead obesity prevention," says author Steven Gortmaker of the Harvard School of Public Health,  "but… so far few have shown any leadership whatsoever.  We’ve let the market do its work and it’s worked well to produce obesity.”

The report includes suggestions for ways governments can implement policies that  it says will reduce obesity and save money.  Proposals include a tax on unhealthy foods and beverages, school programs to promote good nutrition and physical activity, and cutting junk food advertising.  Gortmaker compares these proposals to measures against smoking, saying,“Tobacco taxes were really fundamentally important in altering intake of tobacco and now we see them everywhere.”

Next month a meeting at the United Nations will address noncommunicable diseases, including obesity.  The authors of these studies called for the world to take action.


soundoff (618 Responses)
  1. 출장마사지

    Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this post and the rest of the website is really good.

    https://massage5aslebylhnx.over-blog.com/2021/04/5-bad-habits-that-people-in-the-industry-need-to-quit.html

    June 23, 2021 at 17:04 | Report abuse | Reply
  2. Millard Berrio

    Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with SEO? I'm trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I'm not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Thanks!

    https://static.webstarts.com/library/html5-player/youtube/?thumbs%5B480x360%5D=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0qy3riXxUao/hqdefault.jpg&id=0qy3riXxUao&bg=0&autoplay=1&loop=0

    June 24, 2021 at 01:22 | Report abuse | Reply
  3. 출장

    I was able to find good info from your articles.

    http://www.astro.wisc.edu/?URL=postheaven.net/homesoup96/trigger-point-therapy-a-treatment-for-tendinopathies

    June 24, 2021 at 08:45 | Report abuse | Reply
  4. Gwyneth Robichaud

    This web page is mostly a stroll-via for all of the data you wished about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and also you’ll definitely discover it.

    https://britishrestaurantawards.org/members/companioncaregiver2d3/activity/1160226/

    June 24, 2021 at 09:23 | Report abuse | Reply
  5. Marianne Portales

    Today, I went to the beach front with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said "You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear." She placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!

    https://mikkelsen-hyde.technetbloggers.de/the-advantages-of-residential-home-care-in-boston-massachusetts

    June 24, 2021 at 12:11 | Report abuse | Reply
  6. Sandy Hore

    That's indoor light, fluorescent light, anything. Simply put, you never need to be worried regarding swapping batteries, because it does not include one.

    https://www.magcloud.com/user/means517

    June 24, 2021 at 14:34 | Report abuse | Reply
  7. Katherina Rodkey

    https://www.ted.com/profiles/28175029/about

    June 24, 2021 at 16:03 | Report abuse | Reply
  8. 출장마사지

    You ought to take part in a contest for one of the finest sites on the internet. I am going to recommend this site!

    http://sigha.tuna.be/exlink.php?url=https://k-anma.com/

    June 24, 2021 at 22:03 | Report abuse | Reply
  9. 부산출장마사지

    I blog frequently and I really appreciate your information. This great article has truly peaked my interest. I am going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new information about once a week. I opted in for your Feed too.

    https://777slots.co/forum/profile.php?section=personality&id=498387

    June 25, 2021 at 01:23 | Report abuse | Reply
  10. Marianela Jue

    I understand how to use Banners in Joomla, but the banners are not displaying. How do I choose where the banners show up? I see no option for that. Its published..

    https://twitter.com/katekdesigns

    June 25, 2021 at 04:49 | Report abuse | Reply
  11. 출장안마

    Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you so much, However I am experiencing problems with your RSS. I donít understand why I can't join it. Is there anybody else having the same RSS issues? Anyone who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanx!!

    http://xn--80a5adah.xn--p1ai/user/casino1y1ivkfm870

    June 25, 2021 at 16:36 | Report abuse | Reply
  12. Scottie Depuydt

    I'm having some problems with Firefox, so I want to uninstall it and then reinstall it. But I want to save all my bookmarks, so can I save my bookmarks to my computer, and then import them back to Firefox once I reinstall it? Thanks for the help..

    https://twitter.com/katekdesigns

    June 25, 2021 at 22:29 | Report abuse | Reply
  13. 대구출장

    Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular article! It is the little changes that make the most significant changes. Many thanks for sharing!

    https://blogfreely.net/k9veksq357/h2-massage-therapy-h2-while-usually-oversimplified-by-the-more-popular-thai

    June 26, 2021 at 06:31 | Report abuse | Reply
  14. 대구출장안마

    I need to to thank you for this very good read!! I absolutely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have you book marked to look at new stuff you postÖ

    http://www.indiaserver.com/cgi-bin/news/out.cgi?url=https://251980.8b.io/page3.html

    June 26, 2021 at 09:33 | Report abuse | Reply
  15. Nicholas

    Hi there just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the images aren't loading properly. I'm not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I've tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.

    https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https3A2F2Fwww.facebook.com2Fclipsitnet2Fposts2F681890266061231&show_text=true&width=500

    June 26, 2021 at 16:50 | Report abuse | Reply
  16. www.milestoneapply.com pre approved

    Keep working ,remarkable job!

    http://magetique.com/profile.php?action=view&com=profile&user=walker_allan.23091&do=profile&op=userinfo

    June 26, 2021 at 19:05 | Report abuse | Reply
  17. 대구출장

    Excellent article. I'm experiencing a few of these issues as well..

    http://anma8andersonaloo289.trexgame.net/12-steps-to-finding-the-perfect-daeguchuljang

    June 26, 2021 at 20:16 | Report abuse | Reply
  18. pharmaceptica.com

    choloquine https://pharmaceptica.com/

    June 26, 2021 at 21:14 | Report abuse | Reply
  19. Rosalyn Stagliano

    very good publish, i actually love this website, keep on it

    https://skinnypossibilities.xyz/

    June 27, 2021 at 01:06 | Report abuse | Reply
  20. 대구출장마사지

    Can I simply say what a comfort to uncover someone that really knows what they're talking about online. You definitely know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people should read this and understand this side of the story. It's surprising you're not more popular because you most certainly have the gift.

    https://www.giantbomb.com/profile/l2ujhsh330/about-me/

    June 27, 2021 at 08:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  21. 부산출장

    Hi, I do believe this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may come back yet again since i have bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.

    http://gestyy.com/eiU8wz

    June 27, 2021 at 08:54 | Report abuse | Reply
  22. 먹튀

    Itís hard to come by educated people about this topic, however, you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks

    https://vimeo.com/shopdrink2

    June 27, 2021 at 15:06 | Report abuse | Reply
  23. 먹튀검증커뮤니티

    Hi there! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I most certainly will send this post to him. Fairly certain he'll have a good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

    http://forum.robinannmorris.com/member.php?action=profile&uid=4791

    June 28, 2021 at 03:23 | Report abuse | Reply
  24. 울산출장안마

    After looking into a few of the articles on your website, I truly like your technique of blogging. I book marked it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my web site too and let me know how you feel.

    https://wanelo.co/s1rxgxf753

    June 28, 2021 at 05:53 | Report abuse | Reply
  25. Felipe Andros

    Hello! I've been following your site for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Humble Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the excellent work!

    https://machronicle-club38.bravejournal.net/post/2021/06/08/Picking-Home-furniture-Movers-from-MA

    June 28, 2021 at 08:14 | Report abuse | Reply
  26. click here to find out more

    Howdy! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this site? I'm getting sick and tired of WordPress because I've had issues with hackers and I'm looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

    https://fungus.informationclip.com/

    June 28, 2021 at 23:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  27. 창원출장마사지

    I used to be able to find good information from your blog posts.

    https://www.snupps.com/casino7p3mcsff425

    June 29, 2021 at 05:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  28. 창원출장

    I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this site. I'm hoping to view the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own website now 😉

    http://www.badmoon-racing.jp/frame/?url=https://www.openlearning.com/u/bird-qotzwo/blog/TheMostPervasiveProblemsInCangweonculjanganma/

    June 29, 2021 at 07:24 | Report abuse | Reply
  29. 포항출장마사지

    I couldnít refrain from commenting. Very well written!

    http://www.authorstream.com/casino6d8hkndg336/

    June 29, 2021 at 16:38 | Report abuse | Reply
  30. 포항출장

    I'm very pleased to find this page. I wanted to thank you for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely loved every part of it and I have you saved to fav to look at new things in your site.

    https://www.folkd.com/ref.php?go=https3A2F2Fk-anma.com2Fpohang

    June 30, 2021 at 03:35 | Report abuse | Reply
  31. https://gamensecom.blogspot.com

    It's actually a cool and helpful piece of info. I am glad that you
    just shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this.

    Thanks for sharing.

    June 30, 2021 at 05:05 | Report abuse | Reply
  32. best cbd gummies for anxiety

    Im grateful for the post. Really Great.

    https://bit.ly/3x2ZiGJ

    June 30, 2021 at 09:06 | Report abuse | Reply
  33. 구미출장

    You made some good points there. I checked on the internet for more info about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.

    http://maple.linppt.cc/home.php?mod=space&uid=1273493

    June 30, 2021 at 11:57 | Report abuse | Reply
  34. 먹튀검증

    This website was... how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I've found something which helped me. Thanks a lot!

    http://www.eqianke.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=126917

    June 30, 2021 at 13:30 | Report abuse | Reply
  35. Benny Boies

    Citizen has an substantial collection of watches, mainly concentrating on sports as well as pilot watches. They are split right into five classifications (Diving, Pilot, Efficiency, Ladies, Exec) which we'll take a more detailed take a look at below. Among Citizen's most recent designs is the Nighthawk, which is restricted to just 300 items. The creation of this watch complies with the success of the previous year's Citizen Nighthawk bronze version, which sold out swiftly.

    https://www.facebook.com/patric.wilson.5602/posts/528293338339488

    July 1, 2021 at 18:54 | Report abuse | Reply
  36. Dorian Crowell

    fantastic points altogether, you simply gained a new reader. What could you suggest about your put up that you simply made a few days in the past? Any sure?

    http://zionxqias.blog-mall.com/5799333/the-2-minute-rule-for-home-care

    July 4, 2021 at 23:41 | Report abuse | Reply
  37. Asa Leanza

    I do agree with all of the concepts you've presented for your post. They're really convincing and will certainly work. Still, the posts are too quick for newbies. May you please lengthen them a little from next time? Thanks for the post.

    https://carehome56adb8.bravejournal.net/post/2021/07/04/Benefits-associated-with-Boston-Massachusetts-Senior-citizen-Home-Care-What-You-need-to-Know

    July 8, 2021 at 07:16 | Report abuse | Reply
  38. Venice Kuykendall

    Citizen has an considerable collection of watches, mainly focusing on sporting activities and pilot watches. They are split right into five classifications (Diving, Pilot, Efficiency, Ladies, Executive) which we'll take a closer consider below. Among Citizen Nighthawk latest models is the Argonautic Bronze TT, which is limited to just 300 items. The production of this watch adheres to the success of the previous year's Citizen Nighthawk bronze design, which sold out swiftly.

    https://www.charliebookmarks.win/https-watcharama-co-uk

    July 10, 2021 at 16:51 | Report abuse | Reply
  39. Manuela Torra

    I beloved as much as you will obtain carried out proper here. The caricature is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an shakiness over that you want be handing over the following. ill no doubt come more beforehand again since precisely the same nearly very continuously inside case you defend this increase.

    https://metrobostonmagroup5l6fb.werite.net/post/2021/07/08/Long-Distance-Moving-from-Boston-to-Chicago-USA-Tips-For-Searching-the-Expert-Furniture-Moving-Company

    July 12, 2021 at 07:30 | Report abuse | Reply
  40. Valentin Pittinger

    Citizen has an substantial collection of watches, mainly concentrating on sporting activities and also pilot watches. They are separated right into 5 classifications (Diving, Pilot, Efficiency, Ladies, Executive) which we'll take a better consider below. One of Citizen Nighthawk newest models is the Argonautic Bronze TT, which is restricted to just 300 items. The creation of this watch follows the success of the previous year's Citizen Nighthawk bronze model, which sold out swiftly.

    https://www.hometalk.com/member/51579623/edington1828656

    July 13, 2021 at 07:19 | Report abuse | Reply
  41. Herman Kipfer

    Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people you really recognize what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally discuss with my site =). We will have a hyperlink trade contract between us!

    https://27quicymass-truck-vlog50.bravejournal.net/post/2021/07/23/Why-should-you-Have-an-Individual-Auto-Oil-Change-in-Quincy-Massachusetts

    July 27, 2021 at 05:20 | Report abuse | Reply
  42. Rod Chareunrath

    I'm commenting to let you be aware of what a helpful discovery my cousin's princess undergone viewing your webblog. She figured out a lot of details, not to mention how it is like to possess an excellent giving character to let the rest just fully grasp a number of extremely tough subject matter. You actually did more than my desires. Thank you for supplying these valuable, safe, edifying and in addition cool tips on your topic to Lizeth.

    https://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/bye?https://york-snyder.blogbright.net/common-boston-home-care-services-you-can-aquire-from-the-home-care-agency-1626226575

    July 27, 2021 at 22:51 | Report abuse | Reply
  43. Jason Raybould

    Citizen has an substantial collection of watches, primarily focusing on sporting activities and also pilot watches. They are divided into five classifications (Diving, Pilot, Performance, Ladies, Executive) which we'll take a more detailed check out below. One of Citizen Nighthawk most current models is the Argonautic Bronze TT, which is limited to just 300 pieces. The creation of this watch follows the success of the previous year's Citizen Nighthawk bronze version, which sold out swiftly.

    https://perfectfashionblogger.wordpress.com/2021/08/22/5-essential-rules-of-watch-etiquette/

    August 31, 2021 at 07:27 | Report abuse | Reply
  44. Joseph Laycox

    Present with no responses towards the challenges you’ve sorted out by this tutorial is usually a significant situation, in addition to the type which could have badly afflicted my full career if I had not identified your web site.

    http://medicalreclinerbed029.theburnward.com/10-best-facebook-pages-of-all-time-about-hospitals-beds-for-sale

    September 27, 2021 at 19:06 | Report abuse | Reply
  45. tiêu chuẩn đất sạch

    There are some fascinating time limits on this article however I don’t know if I see all of them middle to heart. There is some validity however I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish extra! Added to FeedBurner as well

    http://southampton.ac.uk/~drn1e09/foaf/visualizer.php?url=https://namix.vn/dat-sach

    June 9, 2022 at 15:16 | Report abuse | Reply
  46. Maryetta Carrao

    This web site is mostly a walk-through for all of the information you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and also you’ll undoubtedly discover it.

    https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-much-do-movers-cost-36743290

    September 3, 2022 at 18:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  47. Christene Rogacion

    I just want to mention I am beginner to blogging and site-building and actually liked your blog. More than likely I’m going to bookmark your blog post . You definitely have amazing stories. Thank you for revealing your blog site.

    https://www.behance.net/gallery/148474911/Nhp-cu-Prince-Edward-Island-cn-nhiu-giy-t-khong

    September 4, 2022 at 04:24 | Report abuse | Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Post a comment


 

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Advertisement
About this blog

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.