What Obesity Trends Are Represented In This Graph?

Obesity rates among children aged 2-5 years doubled.

Obesity

rates for all age groups increased. Response; genes dictate the production of specific enzymes, and affected individuals have genetic defects that cause them to lack certain enzymes; birth control pills, the contraceptive patch and the vaginal contraceptive ring are these hormones prevent pregnancy primarily by stopping ovulation. Monitoring trends in overweight and obesity in children and young people is important to inform research, programmes and policies.

Overweight and obesity, defined as excess body weight relative to height, has genetic, behavioural, socioeconomic and environmental origins. For example, a recent study estimated that obese women are eight times more likely to fail to respond to hepatitis B vaccination than women of normal weight (120). Based primarily on epidemiological evidence published in the last decade, this non-exhaustive review examines the extent of the obesity epidemic, its known and emerging risk factors, its sequelae and its economic impact worldwide. Given the rates of childhood obesity, research has recently focused on the role of obesity in early life and later adult disease.

Obesity itself increases the risk of diabetes even in the absence of other metabolic dysregulation (insulin resistance, poor glycaemic control, hypertension, dyslipidaemia). Obesity increases the risk of major chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, depression and many cancers, as well as premature death. Although several viruses have been identified that could play a causal role in obesity (7), Ad-36 is one of the most studied, as it is causally associated with adiposity in animals. Obesity in childhood or adolescence has been associated with a twofold or greater risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke in adulthood (100).

Conversely, it may be possible to capitalise on the social contagion of obesity in the reverse direction, i.e. in promoting healthy weight and behaviour. Already in the mid-20th century, the United States and Europe were able to link wealth directly to obesity: the wealthier an individual is, the more likely he or she is to be overweight. Indeed, the weight of evidence on the role of sugar-sweetened beverages in obesity (46,4 is a strong impetus for public health interventions and policies, such as limiting the advertising of these drinks, as in Mexico (4 , attempts to limit the size of beverages allowed for sale, as in New York City (4 , taxes, elimination of sales in schools, etc.).

While the prevalence of adult obesity in the developed world appears to have stabilised, the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents globally, as well as adult obesity in developing countries, continues to increase. In addition, the prevalence of extreme classes of obesity continues to increase in some developed countries.