‘Obesity epidemic’ splits the world in two: Slowing in rich countries, surging in poorer ones
For 40 years, the world has been under the grip of a “global obesity epidemic” — a surge in excess weight that raises the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological diseases. The scientific community coined the term “epidemic” in the 1990s in response to the rising prevalence of obesity, and it has persisted ever since to describe what is now considered one of the major threats to global health. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls it “globesity.”
