Mixed
Without immediate and effective intervention, the global prevalence of adult overweight and obesity will continue to increase, reaching 3.80 billion adults by 2050.
The current trajectory of global obesity is unsustainable and will affect over half the adult population by 2050. Individuals and policymakers must move beyond simple awareness and implement aggressive, targeted interventions tailored to local contexts to prevent this crisis.
Assuming the continuation of historical trends, by 2050, we forecast that the total number of adults living with overweight and obesity will reach 3·80 billion (95% UI 3·39–4·04), over half of the likely global adult population at that time.
Why this rating
Based on a massive synthesis of 1350 data sources from 204 countries using robust spatiotemporal modeling.
Source
Global, regional, and national prevalence of adult overweight and obesity, 1990–2021, with forecasts to 2050: a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Marie Ng et al. · The Lancet · 2025
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