According to newly published obesity data, the global costs of overweight and obesity are predicted to reach US$ 3 trillion per year by 2030. Paradoxically, this is the deadline for combating hunger and achieving good health. There is a proverb that if you do not change your direction, you reach the same destination, and if we do not change our direction now, the global costs of overweight and obesity will reach US$ 18 trillion by 2060!
Once considered a problem of wealthy nations, obesity is now rising in low- and middle-income countries, driven by Unhealthy diets that include processed foods, high sugar and fat intake. Sedentary lifestyles accompanied by increased screen time and constant exposure to media messages about junk food especially to children, is not helping the situation. As 37 million children under 5 were overweight in 2022. Africa saw a 23% increase in overweight children under 5 since 2000, and nearly half of overweight young children live in Asia alone.
“Just 7-8 years ago. “I would see only one or two obese children in my clinic. Today, nearly 50% of my young patients struggle with obesity, a startling shift that demands urgent attention”, says Dr Arun CS Menon, an Endocrinologist with a reputed medical hospital in the Middle East.
The growing obesity in children is also reflected in the Global World Obesity Atlas data, which says that 88% of children with overweight and obesity will be living in Low and Middle Income Countries by 2035. Typically, obesity is linked with affluent societies, but the data says that the shift is inevitable, which is a huge concern, as these countries do not have adequate health infrastructure to support the implications of any such situation.
There is a strong link between growing obesity with the parallel growth of the processed fast food industry and unhealthy eating culture across countries where obesity is turning into a pandemic. In the Obesity World Index, the US tops the list, including Islands like American Samoa in the higher income group category, but in the same income group, Japan is the least obese country with a 7.63% obesity rate in comparison to 79.29% in the US.
The credit goes to the cultural practices and the government’s intervention with initiatives like Shokuiku. In the month of June, schools and communities throughout Japan come together for "Shokuiku Month," a national campaign promoting the value of nutritious food and highlighting how school lunches influence children's diets while strengthening regional food networks.
On the other hand, the US also tops the list of most processed food consumers with 58% of ultra-processed food in adult diets which contains additives, colouring and sweeteners. Child diets are no different in such countries. Such lifestyles are supported by consistent advertisements by the fast food industry. “Food marketing targeting children plays a powerful role in shaping their consumption patterns. Also, what is popular in wealthy nations is often considered more desirable by developing countries," says Mohammed Firoz, a media sociologist.
Several studies have demonstrated that ads for unhealthy products promote poor dietary habits from an early age. This contributes to rising childhood obesity rates, a major preventable factor in developing obesity-related diseases in adulthood
Evidence and data of obesity statistics demand immediate government intervention in high-obesity regions through policies, marketing regulations- such as banning child-directed junk food ads - scaled nutrition education like Japan's Shokuiku, and integrated preventive healthcare. Inaction will continue to fuel chronic diseases, strain healthcare systems, and reduce life expectancy. The time to act is now -for our health, future generations, and our economy!
DR SEEMA SANGRA
The writer is a media faculty member and Programme Leader for the Media Studies Department, Amity University Dubai.
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