The most recent data comes from studies in 2016 (Picture: WHO)
There are more than one billion obese people worldwide – but which nation has the most?
A study in the Lancet medical journal has now revealed obesity is the most common form of malnutrition worldwide.
In the UK alone, 16.8 million people are obese – 8 million women, 7.4 million men, 760,000 boys and 590,000 girls.
Obesity rates among children have quadrupled since 1990, and obesity rates among adults also doubled.
The obesity rate among British adults increased from 13.8% in 1990 to 28.3% in 2022 for women and 10.7% to 26.9% for men.
However, according to the most recent figures from WHO, countries with the most obesity are Tonga, American Samoa, Polynesia and Micronesia, Cook Islands and Niue.
The startling statistics come as more than 42 million adults in the UK are predicted to be overweight or obese by 2040.
The NHS has raised the alarm over the figures, citing obesity as a ‘ticking health time bomb’ that will strain public services.
Senior author of the report, Professor Majid Ezzati, of Imperial College London, said: ‘It is very concerning that the epidemic of obesity that was evident among adults in much of the world in 1990 is now mirrored in school-aged children and adolescents.
‘At the same time, hundreds of millions are still affected by undernutrition, particularly in some of the poorest parts of the world.
‘To successfully tackle both forms of malnutrition it is vital we significantly improve the availability and affordability of healthy, nutritious foods.’
Professor Simon Kenny, national clinical director for children and young people at NHS England, said: ‘These figures will be as alarming to parents as they are to the NHS.
Those who are obese cost the NHS significantly more
‘Obesity affects every human organ system, and so at a young age can have a major impact on a child’s life, increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, mental health issues and many other illnesses, which can lead to shorter and unhappier lives.
‘The NHS is committed to helping as many young people and families affected by extreme weight issues as possible through our new network of 30 specialist clinics, which offer tailored packages of physical, psychological and social support.
‘But the NHS cannot solve this issue alone, and continued joined-up action by industry and wider society is needed if we are to avoid a ticking health timebomb for the future.’
But in January, it was revealed NHS patients can receive a swallowable ‘gastric balloon’ for the first time, a revolutionary procedure to tackle obesity that could save thousands of patients from surgery every year.
Like a gastric band, it makes the patient feel fuller with less food, aiding weight loss – but requires no requires no surgery, no endoscopy and no anaesthesia.
The balloon is swallowed during a trip to the doctor’s office and filled with water, remaining in place for around four months, after which it empties and passes normally.
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