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Obesity: gender differences in developed and developing countries


Obesity is increasing across the globe and no country has managed to solve the problem. BBC News (May 29, 2014) reported on a global obesity study published in Lancet, in which researchers stated that the number of obese or overweight people rose from 875 million in 1980 to 2.1 billion in 2013.

From the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Washington DC, researchers from a cross-section of countries conducted a comprehensive study analyzing data from 1,769 publications and surveys, collecting data on age, sex, country, and year. Ranked in order, 671 million (more than half) of the world’s 2.1 billion obese people live in the following 10 countries: (1) United States of America, (2) China, (3) India, (4) Russia, (5) Brazil, (6) Mexico, (7) Egypt, (8) Germany, (9) Pakistan, and (10) Indonesia.

Worldwide, said the IHME report, the proportion of adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater increased from 28.8% in 1980 to 36.9% in 2013 in men, and from 29.8% in 1980 to 38.0% in 2013 in women. The estimated prevalence of adult obesity exceeded 50% in men from Tonga, and exceeded 50% in women from Kuwait, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Libya, Qatar, Tonga, and Samoa.

Developing and Developed Countries
Since 2006, the increase in adult obesity in developed countries slowed down – in other words, it is still increasing, but at a slower rate than before 2006. The IHME study noted that child obesity increased substantially in developed countries with 23.8% of boys and 22.6% of girls overweight or obese in 2013. The prevalence also increased in developing countries with 12.9% of boys and 13.4% of girls overweight or obese in 2013.

Gender Differences
The study reported more obese women than men in developing countries. However, more obese men than women lived in developed countries.

Causes
The report stated that risk factors for obesity included excessive calorie intake, inactivity, and “active promotion of food consumption by industry.” In addition, “classical eating” habits had been replaced with “uncontrolled food intake” spread over the course of a day.
Implications

In 2010 overweight and obesity were estimated to cause 3.4 million deaths, 3.9% of years of life lost per individual, and 3.8% of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide. The researchers call for regular monitoring of changes in overweight and obesity prevalence in all populations worldwide with comparable, up-to-date information about levels and trends. This would enable the quantification of health effects on the population and to prompt decision-makers to take action.


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, The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 29 May 2014   doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60460-8

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)60460-8/abstract

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