(Undated) — More than half of adults around the world will be obese or overweight by 2050, according to a new report. The analysis, published in the Lancet science journal, also predicts a third of children will be overweight. Currently, more than half of adults who are overweight live in eight countries: China, India, the U.S., Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia and Egypt. Experts warn that if the trends don’t change, the impact on health and economies will be massive.
The Lancet study finds the number of overweight or obese people worldwide rose from 929 million in 1990 to 2.6 billion in 2021. Researches say that number could easily surge to 3.8 billion adults over the next 15 years, unless big changes are made to the way people buy and consume food.
Researchers say sedentary lifestyles and bad eating habits are driving the epidemic.
