Public Health Considerations Regarding Obesity

Excerpt

Obesity is increasing as a global public health issue. It affects 2 in 5 adults and 1 in 5 children in the United States and has been characterized as an epidemic. Several countries worldwide have witnessed a doubling or tripling in the prevalence of obesity in the last 3 decades (see Images. Obesity Trends in Children and Obesity Trends in Adults), likely due to urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, and increased consumption of high-calorie processed foods.

The alarming increase in childhood obesity forecasts a significant burden of chronic disease worldwide. Obesity prevention is critical in controlling obesity-related noncommunicable diseases (OR-NCDs), including type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome with hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, and coronary artery disease.

The failure of traditional obesity prevention and control measures underscores the need for a new, nonstigmatizing public health policy model. This approach shifts the focus from solely targeting individual behavior changes to implementing strategies that address broader environmental factors contributing to obesity. Weight bias and discrimination against people with obesity exist in public settings, eg, workplaces, healthcare facilities, and schools, and must be confronted on a societal level.