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The obesity epidemic
ARTICLE IN PRESS Evidence-Based Healthcare & Public Health (2005) 9, 169–170
www.elsevier.com/locate/ebhph
CONCEPTS, SKILLS AND RESOURCES
The obesity epidemic
Many talk about obesity as an epidemic – an emotive word, implying a rapid ‘outbreak’ of disease. Certainly, it is common – in wealthier countries it affects 1 in 3 people, and even in developing economies like China, rates in some areas exceed 1 in 5. But just how rapid is the rise in prevalence? Is it obesity or scaremongering that is reaching epidemic proportions? Below, we have plotted prevalence data from reliable sources against time, for both men and women. Figures 1 and 2 show that we are clearly facing a real and alarming problem. For instance, the last 20 years has seen a 300% rise in obesity in the UK. The trajectory in Australia and the US seems to continue upwards. In the Netherlands, the flatter graph may indicate that the problem is smaller, or perhaps the epidemic is only just getting underway. But not all is gloom. The health risks of obesity take time to develop and can be avoided by losing weight. Many treatment strategies and policies
prevalence among men (%)
40
have been shown to prevent and to reverse obesity. If the obesity epidemic is addressed with enough urgency and political will, we might be able to show graphs with reassuringly negative slopes in the 2015 volume of Evidence-based Healthcare and Public Health.
Sources 1. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/, accessed 21/12/04 2. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/13/26/ 31963708.xls, accessed 22/12/04 3. International Obesity Task Force. Incidence, prevalence and co-morbidity http://www.iotf.org/ accessed 28/11/04 4. Health Survey for England 1988 http:// www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/ doh/survey98/hse-03.htm#3.5, accessed 28/11/04
UK Netherlands Australia USA
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
year
Figure 1 Obesity trends among men (prevalence of BMI430). 1744-2249/$ - see front matter & 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ehbc.2005.01.034
ARTICLE IN PRESS 170
CONCEPTS, SKILLS AND RESOURCES
prevalence among women (%)
40
UK Netherlands Australia USA
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
year
Figure 2 Obesity trends among women (prevalence of BMI430).
5. Health Survey for England 2001 http:// www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/Expodata/ Spreadsheets/D6420.xls, accessed 28/11/04 6. Visscher TL, Kromhout D, Seidell JC Long-term and recent time trends in the prevalence of obesity among Dutch men and women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002;26(9):1218–24. 7. Australian Institute of Work and Health. 2004 Australia’s Health 2004 AIHW. http://www.aihw.
gov.au/publications/aus/ah04/ah04-041126.pdf, accessed 28/11/04 8. Overweight, obesity, and healthy weight among persons 20 years of age and over, by sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin: 1960-62 through 1999-2000. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/ tables/2003/03hus068.pdf, accessed 28/11/04
www.elsevier.com/locate/ebhph
CONCEPTS, SKILLS AND RESOURCES
The obesity epidemic
Many talk about obesity as an epidemic – an emotive word, implying a rapid ‘outbreak’ of disease. Certainly, it is common – in wealthier countries it affects 1 in 3 people, and even in developing economies like China, rates in some areas exceed 1 in 5. But just how rapid is the rise in prevalence? Is it obesity or scaremongering that is reaching epidemic proportions? Below, we have plotted prevalence data from reliable sources against time, for both men and women. Figures 1 and 2 show that we are clearly facing a real and alarming problem. For instance, the last 20 years has seen a 300% rise in obesity in the UK. The trajectory in Australia and the US seems to continue upwards. In the Netherlands, the flatter graph may indicate that the problem is smaller, or perhaps the epidemic is only just getting underway. But not all is gloom. The health risks of obesity take time to develop and can be avoided by losing weight. Many treatment strategies and policies
prevalence among men (%)
40
have been shown to prevent and to reverse obesity. If the obesity epidemic is addressed with enough urgency and political will, we might be able to show graphs with reassuringly negative slopes in the 2015 volume of Evidence-based Healthcare and Public Health.
Sources 1. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/, accessed 21/12/04 2. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/13/26/ 31963708.xls, accessed 22/12/04 3. International Obesity Task Force. Incidence, prevalence and co-morbidity http://www.iotf.org/ accessed 28/11/04 4. Health Survey for England 1988 http:// www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/ doh/survey98/hse-03.htm#3.5, accessed 28/11/04
UK Netherlands Australia USA
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
year
Figure 1 Obesity trends among men (prevalence of BMI430). 1744-2249/$ - see front matter & 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ehbc.2005.01.034
ARTICLE IN PRESS 170
CONCEPTS, SKILLS AND RESOURCES
prevalence among women (%)
40
UK Netherlands Australia USA
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
year
Figure 2 Obesity trends among women (prevalence of BMI430).
5. Health Survey for England 2001 http:// www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/Expodata/ Spreadsheets/D6420.xls, accessed 28/11/04 6. Visscher TL, Kromhout D, Seidell JC Long-term and recent time trends in the prevalence of obesity among Dutch men and women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002;26(9):1218–24. 7. Australian Institute of Work and Health. 2004 Australia’s Health 2004 AIHW. http://www.aihw.
gov.au/publications/aus/ah04/ah04-041126.pdf, accessed 28/11/04 8. Overweight, obesity, and healthy weight among persons 20 years of age and over, by sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin: 1960-62 through 1999-2000. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/ tables/2003/03hus068.pdf, accessed 28/11/04