Obesity Growth Slowing in Wealthier Countries, Study Finds

A global rise in obesity may not be inevitable, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. In some countries, the rate of increase is slowing, stabilizing or even declining.

An international team of nearly 2,000 researchers analyzed data from 4,050 population-based studies involving more than 232 million participants aged five and older, tracking obesity trends in each country between 1980 and 2024.

In most high-income countries, the rapid rise in obesity has already given way to a slowdown or stagnation. In the US and Britain, the number of obese people continues to rise but at a slower rate. In France, the authors say, obesity prevalence could even begin to decline.

The slowing trend was often first seen in children and adolescents. The researchers note that the situation varies considerably between countries, and that local social, economic or political factors, including school meals and societal attitudes to weight, may play an important role.

(guardian, bak)