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November 22, 2014

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Call for global action to fight obesity

MORE than 2.1 billion people globally — or nearly 30 percent of the world’s population — are now overweight or obese, with the figure set to rise further by 2030, according to a study.

Obesity is now blamed for around 5 percent of all deaths worldwide and has a similar negative effect on the global economy to smoking and armed conflict, according to the report by consultants McKinsey Global Institute.

The study predicted that almost half of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese by 2030. It called for a “coordinated response” from governments, retailers and food and drink manufacturers, arguing that targeted action could bring 20 percent of obese people back to normal weight within a decade.

“Obesity is a major global economic problem caused by a multitude of factors,” it said.

“Today obesity is jostling with armed conflict and smoking in terms of having the greatest human-generated global economic impact.”

The report identified 74 interventions that it argued will help tighten waistlines around the world. Recommendations include limiting the size of portions in packaged fast food, parental education and introducing healthy meals in schools and workplaces.

According to the report, obesity now costs the global economy US$2 trillion in healthcare and lost productivity — or 2.8 percent of global GDP — US$100 billion less than both smoking and armed conflict. Britain provided the report’s main case study, and was found to have 3 percent of its GDP wiped off each year due to obesity, the biggest drag on the country’s economy after smoking.




 

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