Citizens of world have been given gloomy and worrying health warning – half of us will be classed as obese or overweight by 2035. World Obesity Federation (WOF) has warned that in just over decade, more than four billion people will be too heavy for their own well-being. There are currently over billion obese people in world. The fastest rising rates are among children and adolescents. The WHO defines obesity as "abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents risk to health". body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. In June 2013, American Medical Association classified obesity as a disease. Many health organizations have described it as pandemic.
The WOF warned immediate action must be taken to avoid "serious repercussions" in future. It said rise was "particularly worrying". It added that, "governments and policymakers around world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to younger generation". The federation called for root causes to be addressed. These include increased consumption of highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behaviour, and lack of healthcare services to assist in weight management. The WOF recommended restricting marketing of food that has high fat, salt or sugar content, and providing healthy food in schools.
