Without proper intervention, the global prevalence of overweight and obesity is projected to affect nearly 60% of adults by 2050, posing significant risks to oral health. This study was recently published in The Lancet.
Obesity-related complications are not only reducing life expectancy in countries like the U.S., but urgent preventive measures may be necessary in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa to address rising obesity rates that are straining healthcare systems, the authors wrote.
"Merely acknowledging obesity as a global health issue would be negligent on the part of global health and public health practitioners," wrote the authors, led by Simon I. Hay of the University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (Lancet, March 3, 2025, Vol. 405; 10481, pp.813-838).
Obesity may be linked to a higher risk of periodontitis, gingival bleeding, and tooth loss. Without effective intervention, rising obesity rates and related oral and systemic health issues may continue to increase globally.
Methodology from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study was used to estimate overweight and obesity prevalence among adults in 204 countries from 1990 to 2050. Data from 1,350 sources, including surveys and published literature, were analyzed, with adjustments for self-report bias, they wrote.
Between 1990 and 2021, overweight and obesity rates increased globally and regionally. China had the highest population of adults with overweight and obesity (402 million) followed by India (180 million) and the U.S. (172 million). The highest prevalence rates were observed in Oceania, North Africa, and the Middle East, with some countries exceeding 80% in adult obesity, the authors wrote.
The global obesity rate has risen by 155% in males and 105% in females since 1990, with the fastest increases in North Africa and the Middle East. By 2050, the number of adults with overweight and obesity is projected to reach 3.8 billion, with Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria, seeing significant growth.
However, the study had limitations. Overweight and obesity were defined by body mass index, which doesn't account for ethnic and subpopulation differences, the authors added.
"Urgent, bold, and comprehensive initiatives are imperative to enable multisectoral collaboration and propel structural reforms to address drivers of overweight and obesity at individual and population levels," they concluded.
