By Poojil Tiwari
A recent study conducted by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) analysed the evolution of obesity between 1975 and 2016 and its disconcerting financial implications across the globe. The survey, which was published in The Lancet, analysed the weight and height measurements of nearly 130 million people over the age of five years.
The ?obesity menace that India ignores
According to the study, the number of obese children (ages five to nineteen) across the world has seen a tenfold increase, from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016.?
Obesity rates in the world?s children and adolescents increased from less than 1% (equivalent to five million girls and six million boys) in 1975 to nearly 6% in girls (50 million) and nearly 8% in boys (74 million) in 2016. However, globally, more children remain moderately/severely underweight as opposed to being obese, with the figure standing at 75 million girls and 117 million boys.
The World Obesity Day is celebrated annually on 11th October in order to create awareness and promote practical solutions regarding the problem of obesity. The objective set by the WOF for this year was to call for investment in the treatment mechanism and to emphasize the need for prevention to reduce the need for treatment. India today is grappling with the problem of widespread obesity and malnutrition. In 1975, India was ranked 19th in obesity, for both men and women. In 2014, the country jumped to 5th and 3rd respectively, with 9.8 million obese men and 20 million obese women. These figures are only expected to increase in the coming years. The percentage of obese men and women is estimated to jump to 3.1 and 6.9 ?percent respectively by 2025, as opposed to the cumulative figure of 7.5 percent (2.3 percent males and 5.2 percent females) recorded in 2014.
Financial liability
Enough merit isn?t awarded to the financial losses incurred due to obesity in status quo. Analysing the financial implications of obesity, the survey said that the annual cost of treating obesity-related disorders will supposedly amount to a staggering $1.2 trillion every year from 2025, unless preventive measures are implemented with immediate effect. Obesity has been linked to a variety of illnesses such as heart and liver diseases, diabetes, depression and various types of cancer. In India alone, the cost for treating such diseases is estimated to be a $13 billion annually by 2025, in addition to the cumulative costs of $90 billion between now and 2025.
Adding new dimensions to the idea of obesity, the survey, for the first time, also accounted for problems such as damage to joints, which may cause back pain and create the need for hip and knee replacements.?That?s why the figures are pretty astonishingly high. Some poor countries are already swamped.? said Tim Lobstein, WOF’s policy director.?The annual medical costs of treating the consequences of obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease, is truly alarming.? said professor Ian Carson, president of the organisation.??Continual surveillance by WOF has shown how obesity prevalence has risen dramatically over the past 10 years and with an estimated 177 million adults suffering severe obesity by 2025, it is clear that governments need to act now to reduce this burden on their national economies.?
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