The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.
Kenya is among countries that do not have sufficient plans and policies in place to deal with rising obesity levels, researchers at the World Obesity Federation have warned.
The World Obesity Federation’s 2025 Atlas, published today as the world celebrated World Obesity Day, projects that the total number of adults living with obesity will increase by more than 115 percent between 2010 and 2030, from 524 million to 1.13 billion.
The Federation is calling on governments to address obesity as a “whole-of-society” issue, by introducing policies including food labelling and taxation, by creating built environments that encourage physical activity, and by strengthening health systems to deliver people-centred obesity healthcare.
Levels of Class II obesity and above (BMI over 35 kg/m2) - currently the common threshold used for when medical treatment is recommended - are set to more than double across the globe by 2030, with 385 million adults reaching a body mass index of more than 35kg m2, up from 157 million in 2010.
In 2021, some 1.6 million deaths from non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and stroke before the age of 70 were directly attributable to high BMI.
By comparison, 1.2 million people died in road traffic incidents in the same year.
Meanwhile, 27 per cent (44 million) of the 161 million adult years lived with avoidable ill-health due to non-communicable diseases were attributed to high BMI.
This rises to 55 percent of adult years living with ill-health from type 2 diabetes. The Atlas’s authors conclude that overweight and obesity are driving death and ill health from the world’s leading diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
The increases in obesity and attributable diseases are occurring most rapidly in low-and-middle income countries, which tend to be the least prepared to deal with increases in obesity levels, especially when it comes to health systems.
Sharp increases in Class II obesity and above were seen across the globe. Globally, the number of adults in the world with Class II obesity and above has increased by almost 150 percent in 20 years (2010 to 2030, 157 million to 385 million, the exact increase is 145.223 percent)
Africa saw an increase of over 200 percent from 11.8 million to 37.2 million adults (Exact increase 215.254 percent)
The Americas saw an increase of more than 100 percent from 63 million to 136million (Exact increase is 115.873 percent).
The Eastern Mediterranean region saw an increase from 21.6million to 68million adults (more than 200 percent) (Exact increase is 214.815 percent).
Europe saw an increase of more than 50 percent from 41.3 million to 63 million adults (Exact increase is 52.5424 percent) South East Asia saw an increase of 9.3million to 37.3million adults (more than 300 per cent) (Exact increase is 301.075 percent)
Western Pacific saw an increase from 9.3million to 43million adults (almost 400 per cent) (Exact increase is 362.366 percent)
World Obesity Federation analysed the existence of five key policies for addressing obesity: Taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks, taxes on foods high in fats, saturated fats, sugar and salt, subsidies for healthier foods, restrictions on marketing food to children and taxes and incentives to promote physical activity.
But the authors found that two thirds of countries (126 out of 194) have either none or just one of these policies in place to address rising obesity levels.
Concerningly, especially given the predicted rises in Class II obesity, 67 of 194 countries - more than one third of the world- have none or only one of eight indicators of public health system readiness in place [see Notes to Editors]. Only 13 countries had evidence of adequate health system readiness.
However, the authors note that the existence of policies does not ensure implementation, especially in resource-poor settings.
Furthermore, the policy indicators measured in the Atlas only capture a snapshot of the multi-sectoral action needed to address obesity comprehensively and the authors caution that changing systems requires collective action by governments and in wider society.
Simon Barquera, President of the World Obesity Federation, said today: “It’s clear that obesity is on the rise, and equally clear that many countries are unprepared to deal with what is an increasingly serious problem for populations.”
“Obesity is a serious disease in its own right and a major driver of noncommunicable diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, with almost 4 million deaths per year attributable to obesity.
“More people die because of obesity than in road traffic accidents every year. We would be horrified if a country had no policy in place to reduce fatalities on the road, but many governments across the world have no serious plan to reduce death and illness caused by obesity.
“We need governments to take a whole-of-society approach to addressing obesity - from food labelling and taxation, a built environment that gives people the opportunity to be active, challenging stigma, and better training for the health workforce to deliver people-centred obesity care.”
On World Obesity Day 2025, the World Obesity Federation is calling for "changing systems, healthier lives”, with an emphasis on the necessity of coordinating sectors and strategies to implement a holistic and sustained response to obesity.
join