Considering that obesity and overweight are major health challenges in Kuwait, it is disconcerting that World Obesity Day (WOD), held each year on 4 March, went by largely ignored by mainstream media, civil society organizations, and healthcare promoters and providers in the country.
The absence of widespread awareness campaigns on obesity, or initiatives to curb the increase in this major non-communicable disease (NCD), as well as the inadequacy of programs promoting obesity mitigating behavior, especially among children, was a glaring oversight on the part of health authorities on this year’s WOD. This omission is all the more damning as the latest World Obesity Atlas indicates that Kuwait is on the cusp of sliding into a situation where half the population could be obese by 2035.
Published annually by the World Obesity Federation, the World Obesity Atlas provides a series of obesity prevalence projections, including analyses of significant obesity trends, projections for global and regional obesity prevalence, national scorecards and Obesity-NCD Preparedness Rankings assessing countries’ readiness to deal with obesity and its impacts. Healthcare personnel classify ‘overweight’ as those having a body mass index (BMI) equal or greater than 25kg/m², and as ‘obese’ those people who have a BMI equal or higher than 30kg/m².
The report on Kuwait predicts that unless urgent mitigating measures are undertaken to curb and control obesity, by 2035 over 52 percent of the adult population could be not just overweight, but obese. The highest prevalence of obesity would be among women, followed by men, boys and girls. The report also notes that the annual increase in obesity from 2020-2035 among adults is expected to be about 1.5 percent each year, while for children the rise could be 1.9 percent annually.
On the economic side, the report forecasts that the impact of overweight and obesity on the country’s projected GDP of US$189 billion by 2035, could be over $5.6 billion, which is a relatively high 3 percent of GDP spending on just one NCD. The report also ranked Kuwait 72 out of 183 countries in its Obesity-NCD preparedness index, which analyzes existing preventive measures and availability and accessibility of health and social interventions to curb overweight and obesity.
The 2023 World Obesity Atlas reveals several worrying facts that should be of concern not just for governments, policymakers and health officials, but also for individuals, communities and societies. On the global level, this year’s report reveals that half of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035, with one in four people expected to be obese by 2035, compared to the one in seven today.
Childhood obesity is especially worrying as it is rising particularly fast. Rates are expected to double among boys by 2035 to 208 million, and to increase by 125 percent among girls to 175 million. In all, over 1.5 billion adults and nearly 400 million children will be living with obesity in 12 years time unless significant action is taken.
In addition, the report provides eye-opening new insights into the economic impacts of overweight and obesity, which are predicted to reduce the global economy by over US$4 trillion a year by 2035. At nearly 3 percent of current global GDP, this is on a par with the entire financial impact of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The report also emphasizes the importance of developing comprehensive national action plans to prevent and treat obesity and support people affected by the disease. It also acknowledges the impact of climate change, COVID-19 restrictions, new pandemics, and chemical pollutants on overweight and obesity, and warns that without ambitious and coordinated action to address systemic issues, obesity rates could rise still further.
Though such alarming and often overarching predictions of human conditions should always be considered circumspectly, the World Obesity Federation’s report does warrant some serious thought. Especially considering that currently over a third of the global population is either overweight or obese, and nothing seems to be altering that trend aside from some very expensive prescription medication.
Obesity is linked to a range of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. If obesity rates continue to rise, and no serious preventive measures are taken to address this increase, it could have far-reaching consequences for individuals and society, including higher healthcare costs, premature deaths and lower quality of life for individuals.
The factors that drive increased rates of weight issues and obesity are complex and experts say it is not just a matter of telling people to eat healthier and get more exercise. Moreover, no single strategy on its own is likely to be effective in curbing current obesity trends; this would require a comprehensive approach that includes multiple strategies.
However, one preventable factor that promotes overweight and obesity which could be addressed relatively easily, is the current widespread availability and affordability of calorie-dense processed foods that despite being unhealthy give a quick feeling of satisfaction, and lead to their increased consumption. Additionally, creating awareness of nutritious foods and making them more easily affordable and available could encourage more people to opt for healthier diets.
“Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation,” said Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation. He added, “That means looking urgently at the systems and root factors that contribute to obesity and actively involving young people in the solutions. If we act together now, we have the opportunity to help billions of people in the future.
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