World Obesity Federation Expects Over Half the Population Will Be Overweight or Obese by 2035, With Economic Cost at $4.32 Trillion
About Scott V Watkins, MD
As a longtime medical professional, I’ve helped more than my share of people struggling with overweight and obesity.
I too have faced my own personal issues with trying to maintain a healthy weight, something that has both personal and economic repercussions. That means concerns over packing on pounds don’t belong to an exclusive club.
In fact, according to a long-term outlook by the World Obesity Federation, the health and financial impact of this issue is only projected to grow. Based on current trends, the federation predicts 51 per of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035, and that childhood and adolescent rates of obesity could double by that year. Currently, 1 in 7 people is obese and over the next 12 years, that rate is expected to be 1 in 4, according to the federation, which released this analysis on World Obesity Day on March 4, 2023, and presented the figures to the United Nations.
In its data, which is published in the World Obesity Atlas, the federation also stresses “continued failure to improve prevention and treatment” could result in a total economic impact of $4.32 trillion US, representing “a significant increase on current levels.” As a result, the federation is calling for governments worldwide to develop national obesity action plans.
But it also stresses: “Acknowledgment of the economic impact is in no way a reflection of the blame on people living with obesity, which is a chronic, relapsing disease.”
I know for myself, and perhaps for many, that my brain can’t really comprehend $4.32 trillion. The Atlas states this is comparable to the financial impact of COVID-19 in 2020.
Most of us can easily, perhaps painfully, recall how our world was turned upside down by the pandemic in 2020. As obesity is a chronic and relapsing disease, these economic predictions are not a one-time cost but will be persistent and recurring. The subsequent and corollary disease processes of diabetes, lung disease, coronary artery disease, cancer and neuropathy, for example, will also increase.
As the federation stresses, this obesity problem is absolutely not a “blame game,” and I applaud the call for government recommendations and actions. We must each act to help stem this devastating trend that is occurring worldwide.
The federation also touched on a very important aspect of tackling obesity: Prevention, which is a primary focus of Functional Medicine (also called Lifestyle Medicine). I’m happy to see that more people are becoming aware of the benefits of Functional Medicine, which focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease, and preventing health problems before they happen.
These days, the categories of overweight and obesity are generally defined by the body mass index (BMI): A BMI of over 25 signals someone is overweight, while a BMI of over 30 translates to obesity. In Functional Medicine 411’s section on the BMI Calculator, it’s emphasized that some researchers and clinicians question the validity of the BMI. I strongly believe, as do many others in my profession, that while the BMI may not be perfect, it remains an excellent marker for diagnosis and follow-up. While the BMI may not accurately reflect the health status of a Dwayne Johnson, most of us don’t look or train in the same vein as someone like the former pro-wrestler-turned-actor called The Rock.
I distinctly recall the day I was told I probably had pre-metabolic syndrome. My blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol were all up, and my fasting blood sugar was in the high 90s. The answer from traditional medicine was, “We will watch this.” As I was driving back to work that day, I felt that watching this evolve into diabetes, heart disease and a slow march to death was much like driving my car straight toward a bridge and not putting on the brakes. This is when I sought out a different approach and began studying Functional Medicine, after 25 years as a cancer specialist.
Through the Functional Medicine principles of a cleaner (less toxic) and healthier diet, intermittent fasting (IF, also called time-restricted eating, which has been a game changer for me), and modifiable lifestyle factors (movement, relaxation, sleep/rest, relationships/support), I no longer have elevated cholesterol and blood sugar. I have weaned myself off one blood pressure pill entirely and am decreasing the primary blood pressure medicine I take. My weight is more than 25 pounds less as a result. My chronic reflux is long gone. In short, I feel better and am healthier at 56 than I was at 46.
These Functional Medicine principles will help us, as a world, avoid the deadly consequences of a projected 51% of the population being overweight or obese.
Eating less (most of us consume many more calories than we require) and moving more, such as simply walking, cost nothing and may help avert catastrophe. As a traditionally trained physician, I do have faith in the role that standard medicine can play, but much like the recommendation given to me, it is reactionary — trying to fix the problem once it occurs.
The predictions from the World Obesity Federation are further reasons we need to stop this train before it derails. For more information on the federation’s report, you can visit the website.
Global Obesity Projected to Get Worse, And It’s Everyone’s Concern
