Obesity Crisis and Personal Responsibility: Nothing Is Our Fault, Not Even Fat
story
Report: Half of World on Track to Be Overweight By 2035
Last updated Mar 03, 2023
Image credit: independentFacts
- The World Obesity Federation's 2023 atlas, published on Thursday, warns that 51% of the world's population, or more than 4B people, will be overweight or obese by 2035 unless serious intervention is undertaken.[1]
- The report also found that childhood obesity could more than double from 2020 levels – to 208M boys and 175M girls by 2035. It added that low- or middle-income countries in Africa and Asia are expected to see the greatest rises.[2]
- Furthermore, the research predicts that if prevention and treatment measures aren't improved, rising obesity rates globally could contribute to a total economic loss of more than $4T – nearly 3% of global GDP – in the next 12 years.[1]
- According to the report, obesity rates are rising globally due to multiple factors, including climate change, COVID restrictions, chemical pollutants, and highly processed foods.[3]
- Describing the report as a "clear warning," president of the World Obesity Federation Louise Baur called for worldwide action, with the information expected to be shared with the UN next week.[4]
- At least 2.8M people reportedly lose their lives yearly due to being overweight or obese, and obesity is a major risk factor for several chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.[5]
Spin
Right narrative
Obesity is a complicated issue that needs more than just government regulation and policies — which places the blame squarely on society and outside forces — to address it. Individuals need to accept personal responsibility and be willing to take concrete action because the alternative is to normalize it as an irreparable health problem, denying individuals agency over their lives and thus cementing their dependency on an imposing technocracy.
Left narrative
Genetics, cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors all influence an individual's risk for obesity, which is why trying to address this health emergency by focusing on an individual's lifestyle choices is unfair. Obesity is a public health crisis that deserves maximum effort from policymakers, healthcare providers, and insurers to dramatically reduce its burden on people already dealing with the stress of chronic sleep deprivation, poverty or threat of poverty, and systemic racism or other trauma.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that at least 72.3% of Americans will be obese or overweight in 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
