October 11, 2017.
According to a study conducted by researchers at the World Health Organization (WHO) and Imperial College London, the number of obese children has exploded in recent years across the world.
The number of obese children has increased tenfold
The health authorities may well remember that it is necessary to avoid foods that are too fatty, too salty or too sweet, obesity affects more and more people, especially children. In any case, this is what a study published in the British medical journal reveals. The Lancet. According to this work, the number of children and adolescents affected by obesity has increased tenfold in 40 years.
In detail, the number of obese children and adolescents rose from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016. In addition, “ 213 million were considered overweight in 2016 but remained below the obesity threshold », Add the authors of the report. And not surprisingly, this phenomenon is more significant in low-income countries. Asia would be particularly affected.
Health consequences of obesity
But, for children and adolescents in the United States and Western Europe, obesity has fallen but remains at a level ” unacceptable “. And denounce ” overpriced healthy and nutritious food for disadvantaged families and communities “. If all countries are affected by this scourge, it is in Polynesia that we find the most obese children: more than 30% of 5-19 year olds are obese in the Cook Islands, for example.
To reverse the trend, the authors of this work suggest that products that are too fatty, too salty or too sweet should be more heavily taxed and that marketing be more strictly regulated. Because the consequences of this obesity are dramatic for children. Some will develop diabetes in adulthood or cardiovascular disease. In 2015, nearly 4 million people died worldwide from being overweight.
Marine Rondot
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