2024-03-07 18:42:56
The global obesity epidemic is worsening at an alarming rate. A recent study published in The Lancet reveals that more than a billion people worldwide were living with obesity in 2022. The prevalence of obesity has more than doubled among adults and quadrupled among children and adolescents, since 1990. Additionally, data indicates that 43% of adults were living overweight in 2022. This report suggests that obesity now represents a greater global health risk than hunger.
Moreover, the situation is expected to get worse. According to the World Obesity Federation Atlas 2023, 51% of the world’s population (beyond
4 billion people) will be obese or overweight by 2035. This shift in focus from hunger to obesity indicates that the world is not necessarily short of food, but rather faces a complex situation of distribution and food consumption. Hunger has always existed because of unequal distribution, while growing risks of global obesity suggest a more complex problem.
This trend does not spare Canada. The obesity rate in our country varies between 30% and 33% depending on the source, with the overweight rate also exceeding 30% in many reports. Some studies even suggest that our obesity rate now surpasses that of the United States.
The Lancet’s call to action is serious. Experts argue that the problem primarily stems from the accessibility of ultra-processed foods. In response, the Trudeau government has implemented several measures since 2015, including new regulations on food front packaging that will come into effect in 2026 with the aim of helping consumers identify products high in fat, in sugar or sodium.
In addition, Bill C-252, currently tabled in the Canadian Senate, aims to restrict food and beverage advertising aimed at children.
Although it remains too early to assess the impact of these measures on the obesity epidemic, they represent a step in the right direction.
Many experts had high hopes for a significant change with the release of the new food guide. Five years later, the guide has failed to reverse the trend of rising obesity rates, while life expectancy in Canada has declined for three consecutive years, from 82.3 years in 2019 to 81 .3 in 2022.
Although COVID-19 and other factors have contributed to this decline, obesity remains a known risk factor for premature mortality and increased medical needs across the lifespan.
The complexity of obesity as a problem remains evident. Factors like poverty, education, access to health care and lifestyle all play a role in determining an individual’s risk. An emerging trend is the increasing use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, initially designed for diabetes management but also used for non-medical weight loss in the Western world. The effect of obesity on COVID-19 mortality rates has also focused attention on these drugs as potential solutions for weight loss.
Oprah Winfrey’s recent departure from the WeightWatchers board, coupled with her admission of using a GLP-1 drug, led to a 20% drop in WW company shares. This news, along with falling shares of snack companies like Mondelez, Pepsico and Nestlé, indicate growing concern in the industry about the effect of these drugs on consumer behavior. With projections suggesting that nearly 25 million Americans will use these drugs by 2032, the industry is watching the situation closely.
In Canada, although official data is not available, there has been a shortage of Ozempic for some time, highlighting the growing demand for this product.
Political decisions will undoubtedly influence the demand for these new drugs. The new pharmacare bill introduced to Parliament last week did not include these products. We will have to watch with curiosity if governments come to consider them as a possible solution to the problem of obesity.
Our current approach to combating obesity is not delivering the expected results. However, as with many other health challenges, the solution may once again emerge from “Big Pharma.”
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