The Lancet (October 10)
On a somewhat encouraging note, a recent study on worldwide trends in weight finds “the rising trends in children’s and adolescents’ BMI have plateaued in many high-income countries, albeit at high levels.” On a less positive note, childhood obesity “has accelerated in parts of Asia.” Nevertheless, food security remains an urgent priority because “the number of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years in the world who are moderately or severely underweight remains larger than those who are obese.” Striking the right balance remains challenging as “the experiences of east Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean show that the transition from underweight to overweight and obesity can be rapid, and overwhelm the national capacity needed to engender a healthy transition.”
Tags: Asia, BMI, Caribbean, Childhood obesity, Encouraging, Food security, Latin America, Obesity, Overweight, Study, Underweight, Worldwide trends
The Atlantic (June 23)
As China has boomed so have obesity rates. “The number of Chinese people who are obese quintupled between 2005 and 2011, to nearly 100 million people. The World Health Organization estimates that 38.5 percent of the population was overweight in 2010, up from 25 percent in 2002. Male children from high-income families have an especially high rate of obesity.”
As China has boomed so have obesity rates. “The number of Chinese people who are obese quintupled between 2005 and 2011, to nearly 100 million people. The World Health Organization estimates that 38.5 percent of the population was overweight in 2010, up from 25 percent in 2002. Male children from high-income families have an especially high rate of obesity.”
Tags: China, Obesity, Overweight, Population, WHO
BBC (June 25)
“The number of adults with diabetes in the world has more than doubled since 1980,” rising from 153 million to 347 million. While some of the increase can be blamed on diet and rising rates of obesity, researchers from Imperial College London and Harvard University attribute 70% of the increase to longer lifespans.
The Telegraph (January 20)
Starbucks is unveiling an even bigger size. At 916ml, it’s bigger than most wine bottles. In fact, it’s “more than the capacity of the average adult stomach.” For now, the new size is only available in the U.S. which, the Telegraph points out, “is the ninth fattest nation in the world and has the greatest obesity problem of any major nation.”
Tags: Obesity, Starbucks, Super size, U.S.