The worlds population is getting fatter – no question!
Now for the health consequences.
I used to be worried about climate change but our ‘health’ will have a far greater effect in a shorter time frame. This is our children’s inheritance. It’s going to be an unhealthy ride unless we change the entire food supply chain – I suspect that is not achievable for the majority on the planet.
This weeks Lancet published a multi country article funded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It describes the rapid increase in BMI across all nations and highlights the problems particularly in developing nations.
“Worldwide, the proportion of adults with a body-mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater increased between 1980 and 2013 from 28·8% to 36·9% in men, and from 29·8% to 38·0% in women.
Prevalence has increased substantially in children and adolescents in developed countries; 23·8% of boys and 22·6% of girls were overweight or obese in 2013.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity has also increased in children and adolescents in developing countries, from 8·1%
to 12·9% in 2013 for boys and from 8·4% to 13·4% in girls.”
The editorial comment included
“Does the whole food environment, not just dietary fat and tobacco, need to be changed to reduce exposure to calories, in circumstances in which economic growth, via consumption, is deemed to be of prime importance?
An appropriate rebalancing of the primal needs of humans with food availability is essential, which would entail curtailing many aspects of production and marketing for food industries.
To prevent unsustainable health consequences, BMI needs to return to what it was 30 years ago.”
http://www.thelancet.com/…/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960…/abstract