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Half of world population will be overweight by 2035

Obesity - Level 4

The World Obesity Federation (WOF) has warned that half of us will be obese or overweight by 2035. In just over a decade, more than four billion people will be overweight. There are over a billion obese people in the world today. The WHO defines obesity as "abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health". A body mass index (BMI) over 30 is obese. One medical association classed obesity as a disease; others say it is a pandemic.

The WOF wants immediate action to prevent a bigger crisis. It said obesity was "particularly worrying". It urged governments to act and address the root causes so younger generations would not have to pay higher healthcare costs. The causes include an increase in the popularity of processed foods, falling levels of exercise, and a lack of health education. The WOF wants less marketing of food that has high fat and sugar content, and healthier food in schools.

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Obesity - Level 5

The World Obesity Federation (WOF) has issued a gloomy health warning. It said half of us will be obese or overweight by 2035. In just over a decade, more than four billion people will have weight issues. There are over a billion obese people in the world today. Rates are rising fastest among children and adolescents. The WHO defines obesity as "abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health". A body mass index (BMI) over 30 is obese. The American Medical Association classed obesity as a disease. Many health organizations say it is a pandemic.

The WOF said immediate action must be taken to avoid "serious repercussions" in the future. It said the rise was "particularly worrying". It urged governments to do all they could to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to younger generations. The federation wants the root causes to be addressed. These include an increased consumption of processed foods, falling levels of exercise, and a lack of weight-management healthcare services. The WOF wants less marketing of food that has high fat and sugar content, and providing healthy food in schools.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Obesity - Level 6

Citizens of the world have been given a gloomy and worrying health warning – half of us will be classed as obese or overweight by 2035. The World Obesity Federation (WOF) has warned that in just over a decade, more than four billion people will be too heavy for their own well-being. There are currently over a billion obese people in the world. The fastest rising rates are among children and adolescents. The WHO defines obesity as "abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health". A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. In June 2013, the American Medical Association classified obesity as a disease. Many health organizations have described it as a pandemic.

The WOF warned immediate action must be taken to avoid "serious repercussions" in the future. It said the rise was "particularly worrying". It added that, "governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation". The federation called for the root causes to be addressed. These include an increased consumption of highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behaviour, and a lack of healthcare services to assist in weight management. The WOF recommended restricting the marketing of food that has high fat, salt or sugar content, and providing healthy food in schools.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson