Health
Obesity is ‘exploding,’ with more than 12% of people classified as obese worldwide, study finds: ‘Big trouble’
One in every eight people globally qualifies as obese, according to a new study published in The Lancet on Feb. 29.
As of 2022, more than one billion people — 43% of adults — were living with obesity across the world, according to researchers from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a global network of health scientists.
The number of obese adults has more than doubled since 1990.
Among children between ages five and 19, the obesity rate has quadrupled, according to a press release from the World Health Organization (WHO).
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The researchers analyzed data from 3,663 population-based studies with 222 million participants, using different body mass index (BMI) measurements for adults, children and teens.
The data was collected between 1990 and 2022 across 200 countries and territories, according to the findings in The Lancet.
One in every eight people globally qualifies as obese, according to a new study published in The Lancet. (iStock)
Out of the 200 countries, the U.S. ranked 36th for obesity.
“This new study highlights the importance of preventing and managing obesity from early life to adulthood, through diet, physical activity and adequate care, as needed,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, in the release.
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“Getting back on track to meet the global targets for curbing obesity will take the work of governments and communities, supported by evidence-based policies from WHO and national public health agencies,” he went on.
“Importantly, it requires the cooperation of the private sector, which must be accountable for the health impacts of their products.”
The number of obese adults has more than doubled since 1990, researchers found, according to a new study published in The Lancet. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, said the world is in “big trouble” in terms of undernutrition and obesity.
“In terms of undernutrition, it is a public health challenge in many places, including Asia and Africa, though overall rates have dropped,” Siegel, who was not involved in study, told Fox News Digital.
“We have far too much processed food with chemicals that produce weight gain.”
“By comparison, obesity is exploding,” he added.
A primary cause of obesity is poor diet, including too many carbohydrates and fats and too few proteins and vegetables, according to the doctor.
“In poor areas, this may be cost-related in part,” he said.
What can be done?
In cases where it’s not an economic issue, Siegel suggested countering obesity by increasing the intake of vegetables, fiber and fish and decreasing the consumption of alcohol, bread, pasta, rice and desserts.
Among children between five and 19 years of age, the obesity rate has quadrupled since 1990, a new study found. (iStock)
“We have far too much processed food with chemicals that produce weight gain,” said Siegel. “We should fight back by trying to use natural foods (farm to table) as much as possible.”
He also emphasized the importance of eating smaller portions, increasing water intake and exercising regularly to help reduce hunger and cravings.
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“We also have effective weight loss drugs — semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) — but they should be reserved for those who are truly obese and have failed lifestyle modifications above,” Siegel said.
A primary cause of obesity is poor diet, including too many carbohydrates and fats and too few proteins and vegetables, according to Dr. Siegel. (iStock)
“Diabetics must be first in line for these drugs as production shortages are overcome, followed by those most in need, but they can certainly make a difference in terms of improving insulin function, improving efficiency of glucose metabolism and decreasing hunger.”
Obesity is a primary driver of the leading causes of death, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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The onset of dementia can come as a shock, but various signs could predict the condition as long as 20 years before symptoms.
A new study published by the RAND Corporation in California identified several major predictors occurring around age 60 that are likely to lead to cognitive impairment and dementia in individuals by age 80.
Researchers evaluated 181 potential risk factors, including demographics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle and health behaviors, health history, psycho-social factors and more.
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Below are some of the strongest predictors at age 60 that indicate a higher chance of developing cognitive impairment and dementia, according to the report.
See the list of 14 predictors.
RAND researchers uncovered several surprising predictors of dementia risk, like never drinking and never working. (iStock)
1. Poor physical health
2. History of stroke
3. Genetics
4. Being born in the Southern United States
5. Not having private health insurance at age 60
6. Never working or only working for a few years
7. History of diabetes
8. Having a body mass index of 35 or more
9. Never drinking alcohol or drinking excessively
10. Never exercising
11. Scoring low on physical tests
12. Being less conscientious
13. Low engagement in hobbies
14. Low cognitive function and engagement
Parental health, family size, marital history and demographics were the weakest predictors, according to the research.
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, study co-author Peter Hudomiet, a RAND economist in California, shared details of the study, which worked with a large dataset and followed individuals “for decades.”
Parental health, family size, marital history and demographics were the weakest predictors, according to the research. (iStock)
“Overall, we found that risk factors had a similar effect in the short and long term, which reassured us that the findings from prior literature may hold in the long term,” he said.
“Nevertheless, we also had quite a few surprising findings.”
Digging into dementia drivers
The researcher said he was surprised to find that those who never exercised had a “substantially higher chance” of developing dementia than those who lightly exercised at least a few times per month.
“Exercising even more often (weekly or daily) had some additional benefits, but not that much,” he noted.
“In other words, the main risk factor for dementia was never exercising.”
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“These behavioral factors were more important predictors of dementia than having the right genes,” Hudomiet added.
While having a body mass index (BMI) over 30 at age 60 was a weak predictor of dementia, a BMI over 35 was a “powerful predictor.”
The risk of dementia is “about half as much among those who regularly exercise compared to those who never do,” said the researcher (not pictured). (iStock)
Never participating in cognitive activities offered a much higher risk of developing dementia compared to sometimes participating, as well as only having zero to 11 years of education compared to having high school or advanced degrees, said Hudomiet.
Another unexpected finding was the substantially higher dementia risk faced by Americans born in the Southeastern U.S. compared to the rest of the country.
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“This differential remained strong even when our statistical models accounted for differences in income, health, and other differences between regions,” the researcher noted.
“It is possible that the quality of education (which we could not measure in our data) was lower in the Southeastern part of the U.S., especially in the older cohorts we analyzed.”
“Less than 1% of health care dollars go toward educating the public on positive health care strategies,” according to a gerontologist. (iStock)
People not covered by a private health insurance plan at age 60 had an 11% higher chance of developing dementia than those who had coverage, Hudomiet added.
That’s “partly because private health insurance helps individuals remain healthy longer,” he suggested.
“The choices you make now will determine how you will live later.”
The study results suggested that “maintaining good physical and mental health is beneficial not just to staying in shape, but also to staying sharp and delaying cognitive decline,” Hudomiet told Fox News Digital.
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Gerontologist Dr. Macie P. Smith in South Carolina, who was not involved in the study, also reacted to the findings in a separate interview with Fox News Digital, saying the researchers are “spot on.”
“Having this researched information presented … brings about a heightened sense of responsibility to everyone who claims to be in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD),” she wrote in an email response.
A person’s genetics are less of a risk factor than certain habits and behaviors such as exercise, a researcher noted. (iStock)
Smith said it is “pretty shocking” that never drinking alcohol increases dementia risk.
“This stands out to me because drinking alcohol excessively increases one’s risk significantly of brain deterioration and can lead to alcohol-induced dementia,” she said.
The expert suggested that self-reported data could have led to this finding — or red wine could have been factored in, as it’s been found to “contain brain-enhancing nutrients, such as resveratrol.”
Ways to reduce the risk
While cognitive decline is sometimes impossible to prevent, Hudomiet mentioned that some risk factors can be reduced through lifestyle changes.
These include exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy body weight, getting proper nutrition and engaging in challenging cognitive activities.
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“Health care providers and the government should consider promoting healthy behaviors in the adult population and strengthening individuals’ access to quality health care, which may decrease the prevalence of dementia and the burden of the disease in the future,” Hudomiet recommended.
“Understanding that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain and adopting healthy lifestyle practices puts people in control of their brain fate,” one expert said. (iStock)
Smith added that reducing dementia risk “doesn’t begin or end with medication.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
For those who are middle-aged, paying attention to these early predictors is a “matter of life and death,” she stated.
“It is incumbent on everyone with a brain to take heed of the warning signs that your body gives you,” she said. “Your body always reminds you about what your brain sometimes ignores.”
“You have the power to take control over what your life looks like down the road,” she went on.
“The choices you make now will determine how you will live later.”
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