Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

Abstract

Background In 2010, overweight and obesity were estimated to cause 3.4 million deaths, 3.9% of years of life lost, and 3.8% of DALYs globally. The rise in obesity has led to widespread calls for regular monitoring of changes in overweight and obesity prevalence in all populations. Comparative, up-to-date information on levels and trends is essential both to quantify population health effects and to prompt decision-makers to prioritize action. Methods We systematically identified surveys, reports, and published studies (n = 1,769) that included information on height and weight, both through physical measurements and self-reports. Mixed effects linear regression was used to correct for the bias in self-reports. Age-sex-country-year observations (n = 19,244) on prevalence of obesity and overweight were synthesized using a spatio-temporal Gaussian Process Regression model to estimate prevalence with 95% uncertainty intervals. Findings Globally, the proportion of adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater increased from 28.8% (95% UI: 28.4-29.3) in 1980 to 36.9% (36.3-37.4) in 2013 for men and from 29.8% (29.3-30.2) to 38.0% (37.5-38.5) for women. Increases were observed in both developed and developing countries. There have been substantial increases in prevalence among children and adolescents in developed countries, with 23.8% (22.9-24.7) of boys and 22.6% (21.7-23.6) of girls being either overweight or obese in 2013. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is also rising among children and adolescents in developing countries as well, rising from 8.1% (7.7-8.6) to 12.9% (12.3-13.5) in 2013 for boys and from 8.4% (8.1-8.8) to 13.4% (13.0-13.9) in girls. Among adults, estimated prevalence of obesity exceeds 50% among men in Tonga and women in Kuwait, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Libya, Qatar, Tonga, and Samoa. Since 2006, the increase in adult obesity in developed countries has stabilized. Interpretation Because of the established health risks and substantial increases in prevalence, obesity has become a major global health challenge. Contrary to other major global risks, there is little evidence of successful population-level intervention strategies to reduce exposure. Not only is obesity increasing, but there are no national success stories over the past 33 years. Urgent global action and leadership is required to assist countries to more effectively intervene.

Sex‐Specific Mechanisms of Resistance Vessel Endothelial Dysfunction Induced by Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

“…This concerning trend has been attributed to the expanding obesity epidemic, which preferentially affects women 1, 2, 3. Obesity and the associated hyperlipidemia and metabolic dysfunction are well‐known risk factors for CVD 4.…”

“…The dysfunctional vascular endothelium is also proinflammatory and prothrombotic. In these ways, endothelial dysfunction contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and progression to plaque rupture and thrombosis, the cause of cardiovascular ischemia, which is the leading cause of death in both sexes 1, 2. Although premenopausal women are protected from CVD relative to men, this protection is attenuated in obese young women, particularly those with metabolic syndrome or diabetes mellitus,8 yet the molecular mechanisms remain unknown.…”

Effects of obesity on lung volume and capacity in children and adolescents: a systematic review

“…However, this study did not investigate the effects of the obesity factor on lung volume and capacity 14. Taking into account that obesity may be considered a disease with a restrictive pattern,1 , 5 the data shown here add important information about the impact of the disease on children's respiratory system, compared to the study published in 2012 14. It is expected that future research, particularly at the national level, be designed to assess the effects of this chronic condition on the pulmonary system.…”

“…However, this study only evaluated the effects of body weight on spirometric variables 14. Taking into account that the spirometry test directly investigates obstructive pulmonary parameters and that the obesity factor seems to affect more the restrictive pattern,1 , 5 the importance of investigating, through plethysmography, the effects of body mass on lung volume and capacity in children is emphasized. Moreover, to date, the results are contradictory in terms of the impact of obesity on these pulmonary outcomes in samples of young individuals 15…”

Addressing the problem of obesity and associated cardiometabolic risk in black South African women – time for action!

“…This is particularly pertinent, given that black South African women have the highest prevalence of obesity (42%) within sub-Saharan Africa [2], which is associated with a high prevalence of MetS (42%) [3] and type 2 diabetes (14.7%) [4]. As South Africa is further along the epidemiological transition than other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, knowledge of the determinants of obesity and MetS gained from this thesis may be useful for intervention development in the broader sub-Saharan African context.…”