980. Global Underweight and Obesity Trends

Both underweight and obesity are recognized as major malnutrition challenges because of their adverse health effects across the lifespan.

A study published in The Lancet analyzed trends in underweight and obesity among adults (20 years and older), school-aged children, and adolescents (5-19 years) in 200 countries and regions from 1990 to 2022. The study used body mass index (BMI) to classify underweight as a BMI below 18.5 kg/m² and overweight as a BMI above 30 kg/m² for adults. For school-aged children and adolescents, underweight was defined as a BMI less than twice the standard deviation and overweight as a BMI greater than 30 kg/m². Obesity was defined as a BMI greater than twice the standard deviation.

Between 1990 and 2022, the prevalence of both underweight and obese adults decreased in 11 countries (6% of the total) for women and 17 countries (9%) for men. In 2022, the highest rates of underweight and obesity among adults were observed in the Caribbean, Polynesia, Micronesia and other island states, and the Middle East and North Africa. Similar trends were observed among school-aged children and adolescents.

Over the same period, the underweight/obese ratio decreased in 5 (3%) countries for girls and 15 (8%) countries for boys, while the overweight/obese ratio increased in 140 (70%) countries for girls and 137 (69%) countries for boys. The underweight/obese ratio also increased in 140 (70%) countries for girls and 137 (69%) countries for boys. Notably, Polynesia, Micronesia, and the Caribbean had higher proportions of underweight and obese girls and boys, with Chile and Qatar leading the way for boys in 2022.

By 2022, obesity will exceed thinness among school-aged children and adolescents in 133 countries (67%) for girls and 125 countries (63%) for boys, with a significant prevalence of obese children compared with underweight children. This double burden is driven primarily by the increase in the obese population, while underweight and stunting persist in regions of South Asia and Africa.

To address these challenges, there is an urgent need to promote transitions to societies with improved access to nutritious foods, with the aim of eradicating underweight and reversing the rising trend of obesity.
 

Reference
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults 
February 29, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02750-2

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Information Program)