What's happening?

Sam looks at the supermarket shelves. He could have an apple. Or he could have a chocolate bar... or caramel crisps... or a cupcake...

Like many people around the world, Sam is dangerously overweight. According to a new survey,¹ one eighth of the world's population is obeseFor adults, obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. A BMI of 25 or more is classed as overweight.. That is about one billion people. Obesity can be a risk factor in heart disease, cancer and a certain form of diabetesA medical condition causing there to be too much sugar in the blood. .

The survey found that between 1990 and 2022, obesity more than doubled in women. In men it almost tripled. In children and adolescents it quadrupledBecame four times bigger or higher. .

The proportion of underweight adults has fallen by 50% - although in some countries it is still worryingly high. But in some countries the figures are still alarming. In EritreaA country in the Horn of Africa that won its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. It has one of the worst human rights records in the world. 30% of people are underweight.

Many experts see ultra-processed foods such as crisps, pizzas and biscuits as a major factor in obesity. They contain more fats, sugar and salt than are good for us, and fewer nutrientsSubstances that plants and animals need to live and grow. The six essential nutrients our bodies need are vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, water, and carbohydrates. and fibres than we need.

But there are possible ways of tackling the problem. Some have called for governmentsGroups of people who govern - or lead - countries. to put taxesThere are three main ways for governments to obtain money: print it, borrow it or collect taxes. on unhealthy foods and make healthy foods cheaper.

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Others say we should ban adverts for unhealthy food and make sure that more children take part in sports at schools and that every adult can go to a gym.

Other countries have different plans. In Japan, people people over 45 have to have their waists measured every year to check for signs of obesity.  

Can we reverse the trend?

Yes! We should treat obesity like we treat smoking. We can make it easier for people to eat healthy foods, and harder for companies to sell unhealthy foods.

No! Food companies are very powerful. They will try to make sure that changes to laws do not make it harder to sell unhealthy foods. And nowadays, unhealthy eating has become normal in many places. This will be hard to change.