<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Weight debate</h2>

Sam scans the supermarket shelves. He has come in to buy a sensible snack after school - just an apple or a banana. But how tempting those crisps look! Cheddar and bacon... chilli and cucumber... salted caramel... all so delicious! And what difference will one bag make? After all, he is already 18 stone.

Sam is not alone in being 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. - or approximately one billion people. This can be a factor in heart disease, type 2 diabetesA medical condition causing there to be too much sugar in the blood. and cancer.

The survey looked at the height and weight measurements of 220 million people over the age of five. It found that between 1990 and 2022, obesity more than doubled in women and almost tripled in men. In children and adolescents it quadrupled.

 The worst affected country was American SamoaA US territory covering seven South Pacific islands. It is home to 45,000 people. , where 81% of women and 70% of men were obese. TongaAn archipelago of islands and Polynesian kingdom in the South Pacific.  had the same figure for women, while NauruA tiny island country northeast of Australia. It is home to less than 13,000 people. had the same figure for men.

According to Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London,² "In many of these island nations it comes down to the availability of healthy food... In some cases there have been aggressive marketing campaigns promoting unhealthy foods, while the cost and availability of healthier food can be more problematic."

Meanwhile, the proportion of underweight adults has fallen by 50%. 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. 33% of women are underweight and 30% of men.

One author of the study, Dr Guha Pradeepa, warns that the situation could get worse. She points to the disruption caused by climate change, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine: "The knock-on effects of this are insufficient food in some countries and households, and shifts to less healthy food in others."

In bygone ages, when food shortages were a regular problem throughout the world, being overweight was often seen as an enviable sign of prosperity.³ But that changed in the 20th Century when mechanisation made food more easily available in developed countries.

Many experts see ultra-processed foods such as crisps, pizzas and biscuits as a major factor in obesity. These contain more fats, sugar and salt than are good for us, and fewer nutrients and fibres than we need.

But there are possible ways of tackling the problem. Here are five:

Tax attack Taxes on unhealthy food, like the UK's sugar tax, and subsidiesMoney given by the state or another body to help keep prices low. for healthy ones.  

Bad ads There should be warning labels and tight restrictions on advertisements for ultra-processed foods, and a ban on those aimed at children.

Distribution contribution Healthy, nutritious food should be made much more easily available, especially for island nations which are largely dependent on imports.

Measuring measures Since 2008 it has been compulsory in Japan for people over 45 to have their waists measured annually to check if they are in danger of obesity.

Sports thoughts The fact that people are taking less exercise is another important part of the equation. More sports facilities should be made available, particularly in schools.  

Can we reverse the trend?

Yes: If obesity were treated in the same way as smoking, we could see an equally dramatic reduction in it. Imposing taxes on ultra-processed foods and using the money for health education would be a start.

No: The food industry is so powerful that it can lobby successfully against the necessary changes. And since criticising people for being overweight is seen as unfair, overeating is becoming the norm.  

Or... Even if we cannot stop obesity, we can do something about people without enough to eat. There is easily enough food to feed the world if we cut down on the amount that goes to waste.  

Obese - For adults, obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. A BMI of 25 or more is classed as overweight.

Diabetes - A medical condition causing there to be too much sugar in the blood.

American Samoa - A US territory covering seven South Pacific islands. It is home to 45,000 people.

Tonga - An archipelago of islands and Polynesian kingdom in the South Pacific. 

Nauru - A tiny island country northeast of Australia. It is home to less than 13,000 people.

Eritrea - A 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.

Subsidies - Money given by the state or another body to help keep prices low.