Health Economics and Nutrition: Over- and Undernutrition Editors

The prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in many parts of the world. About 2 billion people are overweight and one third of them obese. The plight of the most affected populations, like those in high-income countries in North America, Australasia and Europe, has been well publicized. However, the more recent increases in population obesity in lowand middle-income countries that are now increasingly being observed have been less recognized. Based on the existing prevalence and trend data and the epidemiological evidence linking obesity with a range of physical and psychosocial health conditions, it is reasonable to describe obesity as a public health crisis that severely impairs Jacob C. Seidell Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences VU University Amsterdam, Building W&N, Room O552 De Boelelaan 1085, NL–1081 HV Amsterdam (The Netherlands) E-Mail j.c.seidell @ vu.nl © 2015 Nestec Ltd., Vevey/S. Karger AG, Basel 0250–6807/15/0666–0007$39.50/0 Key Messages • At least one third of the world’s adult population are either overweight or obese. • The prevalence is generally lower but increasing faster in lowand middle-income countries than in highincome countries. • Preventative measures should consider addressing the upstream drivers of obesity. Global Prevalence of Obesity Over the last three to four decades, overnutrition and obesity have been transformed from relatively minor public health issues that primarily affected the most affluent societies to a major threat to public health that is being increasingly seen throughout the world. The plight of the most affected populations, like those in high-income countries in North America, Australasia and Europe, has been well publicized. However, the more recent increases in population obesity in lowand middle-income countries that are now increasingly being observed have been less recognized. Two relatively recent papers documented the global prevalence of obesity [1, 2] . The Global Burden of Metabolic Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases Collaborating Group analyzed data from 199 countries and territories and 9.1 million adults with respect to the prevalence of overweight and obesity between 1980 and 2008 [1] . During that 28-year period, the prevalence of obesity nearly doubled worldwide. In 2008, about 1.5 billion adults were