The challenge of the century: overweight

Published studies have shown that, worldwide, over the past 50 years, the population has increased in weight. A 2014 publication reported that between 1980 and 2013 individuals had an increase in body mass index above 25 kg/m², which classifies them as overweight, from 28.8% to 36.9% among men and 29.8% to 38.0% among women. Worse than that, children and adolescents also had weight gain both in developed countries where, in 2013, 23.8% of boys and 22.6% of girls were overweight or obese, and in developing countries, where 12.9% of boys and 13.4% of girls were also overweight.

In 2016, another publication that evaluated the period from 1975 to 2014 also showed that obesity increased from 3.2% to 10.8% among men and from 6.4% to 14.9% among women. These studies estimate that if this trend continues, in 2025, the prevalence of obesity around the world will be greater than 18% among men and 21% among women.

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