The past decade has seen a significant increase in the number of people affected by obesity, making it one of the leading causes of chronic diseases worldwide.

A recent study urged health experts to take stricter measures to address this crisis before its impact on society and public health worsens.

The Global Burden of Disease report, published in the medical journal “The Lancet,” revealed a major shift in the health landscape over the past ten years. While some traditional risk factors such as air pollution, smoking, and high blood pressure have decreased, the number of people at risk from diseases linked to high blood sugar levels and obesity has risen.

The study indicated an 11% increase in health loss since 2010, referring to the number of people suffering from one or more of 375 diseases or injuries, with a 6% rise in health impairment due to high blood sugar. Conversely, rates of high cholesterol and high blood pressure decreased by 15%.

Professor Naveed Sattar, a cardiometabolic health expert at the University of Glasgow, stated: “We have seen global improvements in some risk factors thanks to government policies and pharmaceutical advances, but we have not addressed the obesity problem amid increasingly sedentary lifestyles and higher consumption of calorie-dense and processed foods.”

He pointed out that elevated blood sugar levels are linked to obesity and can lead to type 2 diabetes diagnosis and increased risk of heart and kidney diseases.

Consumption of sugary drinks and processed meats has sharply increased, despite a decline in trans fatty acids and salt intake over the past three decades, adding to the health burden on communities.

Recent years have seen a revolution in treating diabetes and obesity with GLP-1 drugs, but their long-term effectiveness may be limited, especially due to high costs and limited availability to the public.

Professor Sattar added: “We may see gradual improvement through medications, but it could take a whole generation. Therefore, governments must implement strict measures to reduce calories and sugar, as was done with salt.”

Besides drug treatment, the study recommends adopting healthy lifestyles including regular exercise, reducing processed foods, managing stress, and losing weight to prevent complications related to obesity and diabetes.

Statistics show that over one billion people worldwide suffer from obesity, including 159 million children and adolescents and 879 million adults. Obesity rates among youth have quadrupled between 1990 and 2022, while rates among adults have more than doubled.

The study warns that addressing this global health crisis requires comprehensive strategies including prevention, awareness, and strict government policies to reduce the health burden caused by obesity and high blood sugar.