Global obesity costs expected to double to US$4.27 trillion by 2035

THE worldwide economic impact of obesity and excess body weight will more than double to US$4.27 trillion in 2035 from 2020 levels as prevalence of the condition continues to rise, according to a report.

Treating obesity and overweight along with the impact of high body mass index on economic productivity are seen driving costs to about 2.9 per cent of global gross domestic product, according to figures reported on Thursday (Mar 2) in the World Obesity Atlas 2023.

A longstanding, intractable problem, obesity has been spreading throughout the world, and is expected to affect almost a quarter of people over the age of 5 by 2035, according to the report. The World Health Organization has issued health recommendations for prevention, including promotion of exercise and increased response from health systems, but more action is needed to control the situation, the report said.

More than half of people worldwide over age 5 will be overweight or obese by 2035, up from 38 per cent in 2020, and about 24 per cent will be obese, the report said. Among workers, the condition raises absenteeism, reduces productivity while at work and raises rates and premature retirement and death, according to the report.

New drugs to treat the condition from Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and other drugmakers are expected to open up a multibillion-US dollar market, and companies are pushing government programmes to pay for the medications. The research was funded by an unrestricted grant from Novo Nordisk, and the authors said they had put in place safeguards to maintain transparency and reproducibility of the process. BLOOMBERG