Obesity: A Global Public Health Issue

Introduction
• Obesity is a public health issue that has become
epidemic worldwide.
• Research has indicated that overweight and obesity are
the main causes of co-morbidities encompassing type II
diabetes , cardiovascular diseases , cancers and other
health issues that can lead to death.
• The healthcare costs are substantial hence there is need
to develop strategies for the prevention of over weight
gain and obesity.
• However, public health intervention strategies have
had minimal success in tackling the rising prevalence of
obesity.

Cont.
• Obesity refers to when a person is so overweight that it
is a threat to their health.
• Research has indicated that the number of overweight
individuals rivals the number of underweight individuals
for the first time in history of humans.
• The overweight population has grown quickly in current
decades.
• In united states, 55% of adults are overweight by
international standards (Hales, Fryar, Carroll,
Freedman and Ogden 2018, pp.1723-1725. ).

Cont.
• 23% of American adults are considered as obese and it is also
affecting children with one in five American children are
considered obese.
• Overweight and obesity are increasing on a high note in the
developing world while 80% of the worlds hungry kids live in
nations with food surpluses.
• According to World Health Organization(2005) , estimated 1.6
billion adults (15years+) were overweight.
• At least 400 million adults were suffering from obesity.
• At least 20 million children under the age of 5 years are
overweight worldwide (Hales et al. pp.1723-1725)