The World Obesity Federation issued a report last week that found 51 percent of the world’s population will be overweight or obese by 2035 if people don’t start getting their weight under control.

The federation warned that the obesity rate will lead to a healthcare crisis and impact federal health agencies around the world. The report blamed unhealthy processed foods, affordability, and measures taken by governments to stop the spread of COVID-19 as the main culprits. 

The World Health Organization defines overweight and obesity “as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.”

The World Obesity Atlas said the obesity rate among boys under 18 is expected to jump 100 percent by 2035. Girls are expected to see a 125 percent increase in the same time period. Kiribati, a Pacific Island nation, is expected to have the highest rate of adult obesity in the world by 2035 at 67 percent of the adult population, according to the report.

Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation, said policymakers needed to act to prevent the situation from worsening.

“This year’s Atlas is a clear warning that by failing to address obesity today, we risk serious repercussions in the future. It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents,” she said. “Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation. That means looking urgently at the systems and root factors that contribute to obesity, and actively involving young people in the solutions.”

Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic, told KSBY that convenience is a big factor in rising obesity rates.

“For the kiddos—they aren’t able to eat at home or they just certainly don’t want to,” she said. “Or perhaps they’re working at a fast food restaurant, and it’s just easier for them to eat there. So there’s a lot of contributing factors to that disease of obesity… When we have somebody who has a higher BMI, you’re more likely, again, to have issues with type two diabetes, heart disease, we know that having obese obesity and having increased fat stores causes more inflammation. So that has been directly correlated with some cancers, as well.”

TRENDPOST: The federation warned that ultra-processed foods worldwide have increased the vulnerability of lower-income individuals to obesity. The Trends Journal has reported extensively on how governments were quick to tell the public to take the COVID-19 vaccine and wear masks, but did little to stop major food conglomerates from feeding the public poison that increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses. (See “SEE LINKS BETWEEN CANCER AND ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS” 7 Feb 2023, “WANT CANCER? KEEP EATING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD” 7 Feb 2023 and “GET FAT, GET SICK: FAST FOOD CONSUMPTION CAN BRING ON NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE” 24 Jan 2023.)

The current estimate is that health problems caused by obesity will cost the global economy over $4 trillion of potential income in 2035. The report said childhood obesity could more than double from pre-pandemic levels, to 208 million boys and 175 million girls within 12 years.

The researchers said the moronic lockdowns that were implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19 added an increased strain on the problem of obesity because diets and physical activity levels for many people became unhealthy.