Obesity and Diabetes in the Developing World — A Growing Challenge

Abstract

Globally, the prevalence of chronic, noncommunicable diseases is increasing at an alarming rate. About 18 million people die every year from cardiovascular disease, for which diabetes and hypertension are major predisposing factors. Propelling the upsurge in cases of diabetes and hypertension is the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity — which have, during the past decade, joined underweight, malnutrition, and infectious diseases as major health problems threatening the developing world.¹ Today, more than 1.1 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and 312 million of them are obese. In addition, at least 155 million children worldwide are overweight or obese, according to the International Obesity Task Force. This task force and the World Health Organization (WHO) have revised the definition of obesity to adjust for ethnic differences, and this broader definition may reflect an even higher prevalence — with 1.7 billion people classified as overweight worldwide.¹