The World Obesity Federation predicts that if no action is taken, by 2035, more than half of the world’s population would be classified as obese or overweight.
According to the estimate, more than four billion people will be affected, with infant mortality rates climbing the fastest.
The largest increases are anticipated in low- or middle-income nations in Asia and Africa.
According to the analysis, the yearly expense of obesity would exceed $4 trillion (£3.3 trillion) by 2035.
The federation’s president, Prof. Louise Baur, characterized the report’s results as a strong warning to nations to take action now or suffer consequences in the future.
The report in particular highlights the rising rates of obesity among children and teenagers, with rates expected to double from 2020 levels among both boys and girls.
Prof Baur said the trend was “particularly worrying”, adding that “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” by assessing “the systems and root factors” that contribute to obesity.
The effects of obesity’s prevalence on lower-income countries is also highlighted in the report. Nine of the 10 countries with the greatest expected increases in obesity globally are low or lower-middle income states in Africa and Asia.
Reasons include trends in dietary preferences towards more highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behaviour, weaker policies to control food supply and marketing, and less well-resourced healthcare services to assist in weight management and health education.
Lower-income countries are “often the least able to respond to obesity and its consequences”.
The findings estimate that rises in obesity rates around the world will have a significant impact on the global economy, equating to 3% of global Gross Domestic Product.
The report emphasises that its acknowledgement of the economic impact of obesity “is in no way a reflection of blame on people living with obesity”.
The data published in the report will be presented to the UN on Monday.
Obese is a medical term used to describe a person with a high excess of body fat.
The report uses body mass index (BMI) to make its assessments. BMI is calculated by dividing an adult’s weight by the square of their height.