Obesity: Health and Economic Consequences of an Impending Global Challenge

Key Messages


Link to report:
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/32383


Obesity has long been perceived as a problem of high-income countries only. This is simply not true.

   •   In 2016 over 2 billion people globally were overweight or obese, and more than 70 percent of them
       live in low- or middle-income countries.
   •   Today, overweight/obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes and cancer, are among the top-three
       killers across the globe except in Sub-Saharan Africa.
   •   Factors escalating the obesity epidemic include: ultra-processed and sugary foods are more readily
       available; levels of activity have declined while technology is replacing physical labor; and increase in
       wealth and income has lead to increased consumption of unhealthy foods.

Obesity has a major impact on national economies and on human capital by reducing productivity and life
expectancy and increasing disability and health care costs.

   •   It is projected that in the next 15 years, the costs of obesity will total more than US$7 trillion in
       developing countries
   •   For example, in China between 2000 and 2009, health care costs associated with obesity grew from
       half a percent to more than 3 percent of China’s annual health care expenditure.
   •   In Brazil, obesity-related health care costs are expected to double, from less than 6 billion in 2010 to
       more than US$10 billion in 2050.
   •   Many countries across the globe are now suffering from what is referred to as the “double-burden of
       malnutrition�—high stunting and increasing obesity rates, further compromising their human capital.

To avoid the rise of obesity in future generations, governments and development partners must adopt a
comprehensive approach, which includes a strong focus on preventative measures and better primary care.

   •   Primary health care provides an important entry point for individuals into the health system and can
       improve a country’s ability to prevent obesity and thereby manage the burden of chronic diseases.
   •   Proactively addressing this issue helps building human capital, ensuring higher economic growth, and
       sustaining a workforce that is healthy and prepared for a productive future.
   •   Promising interventions to tackle obesity include: mandate the labeling of processed foods; increase
       consumer education; support strong fiscal policies, such as taxation of unhealthy foods; invest in early
       childhood nutrition programs; and enhance urban design and transport, such as playgrounds in schools
       and walking and bicycle paths and increase access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.




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