Obesity remains one of the world’s fastest-growing public health threats, contributing to 3.7 million deaths in 2024, according to new figures from the World Health Organization. The disease now imposes an annual economic burden exceeding US$3 trillion, driven by rising healthcare costs, reduced productivity, and the growing prevalence of obesity-related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.
Health experts warn that global obesity rates are accelerating far faster than earlier projections. Current trends show that the number of affected people could double by 2030, placing additional strain on health systems already struggling with chronic diseases and limited preventive-care financing.
Governments and public-health agencies are being urged to scale up national nutrition policies, tighten regulations on unhealthy food marketing, expand access to preventive healthcare, and invest in community-level lifestyle programmes. WHO officials say that without aggressive intervention, obesity will deepen global inequality, shorten life expectancy in several regions, and continue to drain national budgets.
