Obesity affects more than a billion people worldwide (OMS)

 According to the World Health Organization, more than a billion people worldwide are obese, including 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents, and 39 million children, a number that continues to rise (OMS).

According to a new report released on the occasion of World Obesity Day, about 167 million people - adults and children - will be in poor health by 2025 as a result of being overweight or obese.

As a result, the onusienne agency urges countries to do more to avert this looming and avoidable health crisis.

Obesity, according to the same source, is a disease that affects the majority of the body's systems. She affects the heart, the liver, the reins, the articulations, and the recording device. She also causes a number of non-transmissible diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and cerebral vascular accidents, as well as cancers of many types and mental health issues.

Obese people are three times more likely to be admitted to the hospital for a Covid-19 infection.

Previously thought to be a problem of high-income countries, obesity and obesity-related diseases are now on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban areas.

The key to preventing obesity is to act early, ideally before the birth of a child, according to the OMS, which notes that good nutrition during pregnancy, followed by an exclusive feeding program until the age of six months, and then a continuous feeding program until the age of two years and beyond, is the best option for all mothers and young children.

At the same time, countries must work together to improve the food environment so that everyone has access to a healthy diet and the resources to do so, according to the same source.

Effective measures include limiting the marketing of high-grain, high-sugar, and high-salt foods and beverages to children, taxing sugary beverages, and facilitating access to a healthy and affordable diet.

Les villes et les villages doivent faire de la place pour la marche, le vélo et les loisirs en toute sécurité, et les écoles doivent aider les ménages à inculquer aux enfants des habitudes saines dès le plus jeune âge, préconisent les experts de l’OMS.