Being overweight or obese is now linked to 2.8 million deaths annually, via associated non-communicable diseases like type-2 diabetes, various cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Clearly, this is a serious problem, and addressing it will require a commitment to sustained and well-coordinated action.
ROME – Today, about 2.1 billion people, or almost 30% of the world’s population, are regarded as overweight (defined as a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 or higher) – double the number in 1980, and more than 2.5 times the number of people who are chronically hungry. In fact, according to a recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute, being overweight or obese is now linked to 2.8 million deaths annually – more than those associated with being underweight – via non-communicable diseases like type-2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Clearly, this is a serious problem, and addressing it will require a commitment to sustained and well-coordinated action.
ROME – Today, about 2.1 billion people, or almost 30% of the world’s population, are regarded as overweight (defined as a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 or higher) – double the number in 1980, and more than 2.5 times the number of people who are chronically hungry. In fact, according to a recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute, being overweight or obese is now linked to 2.8 million deaths annually – more than those associated with being underweight – via non-communicable diseases like type-2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Clearly, this is a serious problem, and addressing it will require a commitment to sustained and well-coordinated action.