It’s no secret that global obesity rates have been rising over the past few decades. But a new analysis quantifies the upsurge.

The following report is by Science News:

More than 1 billion people worldwide were living with obesity as of 2022, researchers report February 29 in the Lancet. That’s about one-eighth of the global population (SN: 11/15/22). For comparison, nearly 800 million people had obesity in 2016, according to the World Health Organization, or WHO.

Obesity is “defined by the presence of excess body fat that impairs health,” says obesity expert Arya Sharma of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, who was not involved in the study. The chronic disease can raise the risk for conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, vulnerability to diseases like COVID-19, and can also limit mobility and negatively affect mental health (SN: 4/22/20).

Global health researcher Majid Ezzati and colleagues examined more than 3,600 population-based studies published over the last several decades encompassing 222 million participants across nearly 200 countries and territories. The researchers divided each participant’s reported weight by their height squared to find their body mass index, or BMI.

Analyzing the trends suggested that in 2022, almost 900 million adults worldwide had a BMI of 30 or above, classifying them as having obesity. In children and adolescents ages 5 to 19, nearly 160 million were estimated to have the chronic disease, defined as BMI above a certain point on the WHO’s growth reference curves, which account for age and sex.

From 1990 to 2022, the prevalence of obesity roughly doubled in women, tripled in men and quadrupled in children and adolescents. At the same time, global rates of those who were underweight fell. “We shouldn’t be thinking about [underweight and obesity] as two separate things, because the transition from one to the other has been very rapid,” says Ezzati, of Imperial College London.

The estimated obesity rates should raise alarms, he says. “Governments and societies need to deal with this” through prevention and medical care. Despite new anti-obesity medications like Wegovy showing incredible results, Ezzati adds, their high costs and lack of incorporation in worldwide medical guidance will make them inaccessible to most people for the near future (SN: 12/13/23).

Ezzati notes that one of the biggest driving factors of obesity’s increased prevalence is limited access to and the unaffordability of healthy foods. Sharma adds that societal-level lifestyle changes — such as getting less sleep, increased stress levels and spending less time at home — can also lead to eating more processed foods and overconsumption (SN: 12/21/18; SN: 5/16/19).

When you look at appetite, there’s a complex biology behind it. And that biology is affected by environmental changes.

Sharma says.

AUTHOR COMMENTARY

[19] Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. [20] Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: [21] For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Proverbs 23:19-21

It is no accident that there is a direct correlation to a sickening level of obesity and unstainable debt loads. Gluttons consume much more than they should, obviously; and when everything has become so convenient, and people no longer have to sweat to survive, literally and figuratively, it’s not surprising to see balloon up. The lockdowns only exacerbated this problem by trapping people inside their homes, and now with the new remote-work setup that has increased the temptations to keep comfort eating. People have no temperance anymore.

However, this myth that healthier meals are way more expensive is, well, a myth! The cost of fast food and most conventional foods and drinks at stores these days are not only increasing in price (and decreasing in quantity and quality even more than previous); but the convenient and instant-ready meals are designed to cause people to spend more in the long haul, especially when you consider a lot of these foods are literally “programmed” and drugged to be addicting, causing your body and mind to crave even more of these foods – “foods” that remain high in calories, but lack vital nutrients needed by the body to process and absorb the food, and thus causes a host of issues that will inflate people like Oompa Loompas!

SEE: Kellogg’s CEO Tells Poor Americans To Eat Cereal For Dinner

The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

Proverbs 13:25

Clean, organic foods properly satiate you, and therefore, even though the price upfront can be imitating, proper budgeting, frugality and temperance will more than help you save money in the long run, and will be healthier for you as well, which vastly reduces medical expenses. Of course, you still have to be vigilant and shop around, as there are plenty of organic products and farmers that will rip you off, so use discernment.


[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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13 Comments

  • The issue in large part is . . . people no longer want to cook from scratch. That’s the only way I know to cook! From start to finish is a good 90 minutes to 4 hours. Your family is worth it.

  • It’s all part of the agenda: a population that’s overweight and especially obese and sick all the time are easier to control.

    Food has been weaponized. America has become a nation of spoiled brats that despise healthy eating or the keto diet, clean eating, raw diets etc., and now they wonder why they wear a 76 inch pant size, are out of breath after just 5 minutes of easy non-strenuous walking, are more susceptible to colds and such, and shudder when they have to take the stairs.

    Just think when these hirelings who have gigantic guts and obsess over food because their god is their belly according to Philippians 3:19, they’ll be easy prey and rounded up when the government starts militarily taking over their cult centers!

    • Keto diets, long term, crush your testosterone. I might have to do an article about it. There is nuance to a keto and carnivore diet, but I am not big fan of it in the long run. You can achieve similar effects by just fasting and reducing overall caloric intake. Having carbs and sugar in moderation is totally fine. The French and Italians eat bread and grains with everything, and are some of the healthiest and longest living people in the world, granted, though, their grains are different than conventional American stuff. I recommend einkorn. Easy to digest and very nutritious.

      • Einkorn is a type of wheat. I hope I can find some breads made with it.

        Also, what are your thoughts on the carnivore diet, Jacob? Meats of all kinds including chicken and fish as well as eggs and maybe nuts and beans as well. Sugar and carbs at a bare minimum.

        • Buy the flour or pastas instead and just make your own bread. Premade einkorn bread will be outrageous in cost.
          The carnivore diet is this loosely defined fad that, again, has some nuance but it is just simply not grounded in any real logic and built on total lies, and in the long haul can do some serious damage to your health. A lot of these influencers are hacks, special interest-funded, or just clout-chasers. It’s another one of these right vs. left things, or in this case, plants and vegans vs. meats/fats and dairy. At the end of the day, do what you want, it’s none of my real concern, but this just my take on it.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMIK9PXwiqU&t=855s

      • Just something to think about. you said, “Having carbs and sugar in moderation is totally fine.” ok, so in your world what does in moderation mean. once a day? twice a week? five times a month. sugar is literally in everything, i mean everything. 95% plus that is sold in grocery stores contains some level of sugar. sugar is not good for your body. it wreaks havoc on your system. its an addiction. and quite honestly one of the only ways to eliminate sugar is to go on a low carb diet or carnivore. personally i didn’t realize how addicting sugar was until you stop taking it. its funny to me that so many people, and me include think that smoking and dirking and drugs are bad for your health, but sugar get a pass. blows my mind. thought this might be interesting watch. hey Jacob i think you need to do better research on this topic and find better people to get the right information.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9z3u_T3p7Q&t=660s
        https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qnuAzYwTwLI
        https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FcAugmZIniM

        • It’s near impossible to have this conversation anymore because it seems everyone who gets into the diet thing gets so tribal, it becomes their identity, their whole personality. I’ve studied the keto and carnivore thing for years, and as I said, there are no doubt some benefits in the short run, but the whole demonization of entire foods groups is just ridiculous and simply unfounded. Carbs have always been a staple in every established culture for millennia, and only within the last handful of decades are people claiming carbs, veggies, and fruits are “poison.” Well, if you are talking about GMO, pesticide-laden, ultra-processed, bleached, enriched, fortified, etc., then I would urge people to stay away from that stuff. But, good clean, organic, regenerative foods of all kinds are more than fine. If carbs are so bad then why are the French and Italians eating gadzooks of it, and have long lifespans, and are thinner and maintain healthy weights? I workout fairly regularly and I eat a fair amount of carbs, but I keep things balanced. When I go more than a couple of days without eating a sufficient carbohydrate intake I feel exhausted, I am mentally unclear, my sleep is not great, I am sore, and so on. I eat a balanced diet where I get a little of everything, but I still prioritize high-fat and a lot of meat and dairy. Eating plenty of pre- and probiotic fermented foods will greatly help you digest carbs, and will help you feel much better overall. Fasting is also key. Watch those videos I linked above: it more than demonstrates there are simply some very innate problems with carnivore.

          • Colossians 2 :16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
            from the true and only word of God the KJV Bible, I agree brother Jacob there needs to be a balance and I too am trying to work on that to get the food part better for me and my parents and animals and only the Lord is helping greatly.

            • Proverbs 20:23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.
              Proverbs 4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
              Balance is so important. Moderation in everything (Philippians 4:5).

          • Hey Jacob. I did watch the videos that you posted, I hope you watched the ones I posted to. Iv been eating a low carb/carnivor for about 7 years now. And both me and my wife have seen unreal results. We both work with a health practitioner, and do hair analysis, to know what our minerals are at. I do believe this will eliminate any deficiency that might occur. I most definitely do not make my identity around diet or force what I eat on anyone, or in the scene that you might be lesser than me. Another example would be flat earth. I know your opinions on the matter and are strongly against the idea. I do beleave the earth is flat but I most certainly do not make my identity around that, nor diet. My identity is in Jesus Christ. And my main focus is exactly that. I know these days it’s hard to have a discussion about certain topics.

            • Romans 14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. [3] Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
              I’m not going to make a big deal over it. It’s not worth getting into a kerfuffle over lol. If it works for you, more power to you. I’m still going to keep advocating a clean, organic, balanced diet and lifestyle; but I’m only going to really divide over it if someone gets overzealous and sacrilegious about it. It’s one thing to follow the diet, but then to shame people over it (not saying you do) and make tall claims that veggies and fruits, carbs, or anything else in-between is innately “poison” is ludacris.

  • 2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

    This verse has done more to improve my diet than anything else.

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