Rising obesity cases worldwide negatively impact the economy

The rapid rise in overweight and obesity rates has fundamentally changed the global health landscape. Obesity rates have more than doubled among adults and quadrupled among adolescents since 1990.

It is stated that more than 4 million deaths worldwide each year are associated with overweight and obesity.

World Health Organization (WHO) data show that obesity also played a role in the deaths of 3.7 million people struggling with non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in 2021.

Additionally, of the more than 2.5 billion "overweight" adults, approximately 890 million will be diagnosed as obese in 2022, according to the data.

WHO projects that obesity-related costs, which include both direct health expenditures and indirect losses from productivity losses and premature deaths, could reach $3 trillion by 2030 and over $18 trillion by 2060.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), a WHO spokesperson stated that the economic impact of obesity is widespread, saying, "It creates a chain financial burden for governments by affecting productivity, education, social security systems and infrastructure."

According to the World Obesity Federation, rising obesity costs more than 2 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP). This figure is expected to exceed 3 percent by 2060.

According to a study conducted by the federation in 2022, it is estimated that the global economic cost of overweight and obesity could reach $4.32 trillion a year by 2035 unless better prevention and treatment measures are taken.

Experts emphasize that obesity is not solely the result of individual choices, and that factors such as heavily marketed processed foods, sedentary jobs, limited access to green spaces and limited opportunities for affordable healthy eating "encourage obesity."

Many factors trigger obesity

Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina, told an AA reporter that obesity and related complication rates are quite high.

Popkin noted that the fastest increase was seen in low- and middle-income countries, but "there has not been a significant decline in any single country worldwide."

Pointing to the consumption of snacks and processed foods, Popkin stated that the "addictive" scientific formulas of such products trigger obesity.

Popkin noted that obesity, which is associated with 13 of the 16 major cancer types, also causes an increase in diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease, as well as mental illnesses such as depression.

Popkin, noting that rising obesity will trigger other health problems, said, "The proportion of people using wheelchairs will increase. We will also see an increase in diseases like diabetes and hypertension at younger ages. Long-term healthcare costs will grow exponentially."

Popkin, emphasizing the need for global action on the issue, also stated that international institutions are inadequately funded.

Obesity should be considered a disease

Angie Jackson-Morris of the World Obesity Federation also said that more than one factor comes into play when it comes to weight control.

"We as a world have allowed companies to market highly processed foods so that everyone wants them," Jackson-Morris said, emphasizing that these food products "look appealing and are quite affordable" to consumers.

"Societies need to redesign urban environments," said Jackson-Morris, who called for stricter food regulations to reduce salt, fat and sugar, and urban planning reforms to encourage physical activity.

Jackson-Morris emphasised the need to "recognise obesity as a disease and improve access to new medicines, psychosocial support and healthcare services."

Addressing the impact of obesity on the economy, Jackson-Morris said, "In a few years, costs will become unmanageable."

Jackson-Morris said people may have to leave their jobs due to obesity, adding, "This burden will fall most heavily on resource-constrained countries."

There are ways to address obesity as a global issue

Jackson-Morris noted that "front-of-market labels and sugar taxes" on food products in Latin America have reduced purchases of sugary drinks and reduced sales by 24 percent in Chile, and that progress has also been made in some countries, including those in Europe and Africa.

Jackson-Morris noted that in Japan, a policy requiring waist measurement and lifestyle counseling for middle-aged adults has kept obesity rates below 4 percent, while in Norway and Finland, school lunches, taxes and marketing restrictions have slowed the rise in obesity.

Pointing out that sugary drinks are taxed in more than 90 countries worldwide as part of these initiatives, which were spearheaded by Latin American countries, Jackson-Morris called on governments to address obesity as both a health and economic priority.

"There are ways to address this as a global issue," Jackson-Morris said.