The report estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight and obesity, and their changes from 1990 to 2022, for adults, school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. The UK obesity rate has doubled since 1990, with 17 million Britons now living with obesity.
Hannah Brinsden, head of policy and advocacy at The Food Foundation, said: “The Lancet’s report on obesity is yet more evidence that obesity prevention is simply not being taken seriously enough. There has also been a particularly disturbing surge amongst the UK’s schoolchildren. This must be an urgent warning to our politicians to take more action.
“Over 60 health experts asked the Chancellor to prioritise health in the budget, and hopefully these new figures add to the case for action. We know what needs to be done to reduce obesity rates – healthier foods should be the affordable option, we need better advertising regulation, regulatory levers on the food industry such as taxes, better access to free school meals and the Healthy Start Scheme, improved public sector food, and stronger horticulture policies. These steps would go a long way towards ensuring everyone has access to and can afford a healthy diet. Many of these policies can and should be implemented now.”
According to the report, the worldwide obesity rate in girls increased from 1.7% in 1990 to 6.9% in 2022 and the worldwide obesity rate in boys increased from 2.1% to 9.3% during the same period.
Professor Simon Kenny, NHS England’s national clinical director for children and young people, added: “These figures will be as alarming to parents as they are to the NHS – obesity affects every human organ system, and so at a young age can have a major impact on a child’s life, increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, mental health issues and many other illnesses, which can lead to shorter and unhappier lives.
“The NHS is committed to helping as many young people and families affected by extreme weight issues as possible through our new network of 30 specialist clinics, which offer tailored packages of physical, psychological and social support – but the NHS cannot solve this issue alone, and continued joined-up action by industry and wider society is needed if we are to avoid a ticking health timebomb for the future.”