A new report from the World Obesity Federation has showed that following current trends, 2.7 billion adults worldwide will become overweight by 2025, an increase of 4 per cent from 2014 figures.
The rise in obesity rate would mean that 17 per cent of the world’s population will suffer from weight-related problems come 2025 and this will likely set off an increase in the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other obesity-related conditions.
World Obesity Federation Director of Policy Tim Lobstein said “Common risk factors such as soft drink consumption and sedentary working environments, have increased, fast food advertising continues and greater numbers of people live in urban environments without access to green spaces.
“Governments have accepted the need for regulatory measures such as market controls, taxes and subsidies, setting standards for catering services and investment in healthy schools – but few governments are implementing these measures.”
He urged governments to urgently take action with measures that include introducing regulations that would protect children from unhealthy food marketing, ensuring that schools promote healthy eating, encouraging workplaces to provide and promote physical activities and healthy food choices, and introducing subsidies and taxes that would make unhealthy food more expensive and healthier food cheaper.