World Obesity Day is on March 4, and a staggering Lancet study revealed that over half of the world’s overweight or obese adults reside in just eight countries. These numbers are part of a larger trend, where global obesity rates have more than doubled since 1990, with over 2 billion people now living with obesity. The study highlights the need for effective strategies to address this growing health concern. Also read | Anand Mahindra responds as Prime Minister Narendra Modi advises people to use less cooking oil to beat obesity
Global obesity numbers
The study shows that 2.11 billion adults aged 25 or above and 493 million children and young people aged five to 24 are overweight or obese. That is up from 731 million and 198 million, respectively, in 1990. In 2021, more than half of all adults who were overweight or living with obesity resided in just eight countries.
Top countries with high obesity rates
More than half of the adults classified as overweight or obese live in these eight countries: China (402 million), India (180 million), the US (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (58 million), Indonesia (52 million) and Egypt (41 million).
1. China: 402 million
2. India: 180 million
3. US: 172 million
4. Brazil: 88 million
5. Russia: 71 million
6. Mexico: 58 million
7. Indonesia: 52 million
8. Egypt: 41 million
India vs US obesity rates
As per Worldometers.info, the present population of the US is 346,664,537 as of March 3, 2025, based on their ‘elaboration of the latest United Nations data’. Moreover, as per Worldometers.info, the current population of India is 1,459,576,317 as of March 3, 2025.
Therefore, according to the study’s findings, 172 million of 346 million Americans (49.71 percent) are overweight or living with obesity, compared to 180 million of 1.45 billion Indians (12.41 percent).
Implications and significance of the study
Both overweight and obese populations increased substantially in every world region between 1990 and 2021, suggesting that current approaches to curbing these increases have failed a generation of children and adolescents.
Increases in obesity are expected to continue for all populations in all world regions. Because substantial change is forecasted to occur between 2022 and 2030, immediate actions are needed to address this public health crisis. More than half of adults and a third of children and young people worldwide will be overweight or obese by 2050, posing an ‘unparalleled threat’ of early death, disease and enormous strain on healthcare systems, a report warns.
The report says that more than half of those aged 25 or above worldwide (3.8 billion) and about a third of all children and young people (746 million) are forecast to be affected by 2050. Almost 60 percent of adults over 25 are expected to be overweight or living with obesity by 2050.
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Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
