New research by the World Obesity Federation warns that half of humankind is on track to becoming overweight by the year 2035.
That means that, based on current trends, over 4 billion people (51%) are expected to become overweight or obese in 12 years time. This would be a massive increase from the current 2.6 billion people globally who are not at the recommended weight.
The excess weight epidemic is something which is considered around the world, with countries like Mexico implementing taxes on soft drinks and junk food, the UK implementing advertising rules for foods with high fat, salt and sugar content on children’s TV channels and France increasing physical activity and the Netherlands offering a holistic, healthy environment which support children and families.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person is considered overweight when their Body Mass Index is between 25.0 and under 30. A BMI of 30.0 or higher would mean that the individual is obese.
A few months back, Malta was classified as the country with the highest obesity rate in the European Union, with around a quarter of its population considered as obese. A third of the Maltese population is expected to become obese by the year 2030, but does the solution lie?
In 2015, Malta passed an ambitious bill on Obesity which included restrictions on which food was to be sold in schools and how such institutions utilised exercise in their curriculum whilst encouraging local councils to offer more spaces for exercise to address obesity amongst the elderly.
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