Obesity rates plateau in some wealthy nations

Imperial College London researchers said on May 13 that the rise in obesity has slowed, plateaued and in some cases may have begun to reverse in several high-income countries, even as rates continue to climb in many lower-income ones. The findings were published in Nature and presented during the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, which runs from May 12 to May 15. (imperial.ac.uk) The work covers trends from 1980 to 2024 and draws on measured height and weight data from 232 million people in 200 countries and territories. (nature.com) The study does not say obesity has fallen worldwide. (eco2026.org) Nature said obesity has risen in all countries over the past 45 years, but the pace has differed sharply, with faster growth in poorer countries and slower growth in many wealthy ones. Imperial College said the newer analysis challenges the idea that obesity is moving everywhere as a single uniform global epidemic. ### Which countries are seeing the slowdown? Imperial College said the increase has slowed or levelled off in most high-income countries after rapid rises late in the 20th century. The slowdown appeared first in school-aged children, followed by adults roughly a decade later, according to the university’s summary of the research. (imperial.ac.uk) France, Italy and Portugal were among the countries where rates may even have started to decline, Imperial College said. Other coverage of the Nature paper said Japan was also among the countries showing declines, while the United States and Britain appeared closer to a plateau than to a reversal. (nature.com) ### Where are rates still rising fastest? Nature reported on May 13 that obesity prevalence continues to rise across low- and middle-income countries and, in many places, is accelerating. Imperial College highlighted Africa, Asia, Latin America and Pacific and Caribbean island nations as regions where prevalence is still increasing. (imperial.ac.uk) The NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, which led the analysis, said the study focused not only on prevalence but also on “velocity” — the annual change in obesity prevalence. That measure is meant to show where obesity is still rising rapidly, where it is stabilising and where it may be edging down. (imperial.ac.uk) ### What is different about this dataset? The paper used 4,050 population-based studies with measured, rather than self-reported, height and weight data, according to Nature and NCD-RisC materials. The dataset covers children, adolescents and adults aged 5 years and older from 1980 through 2024. (nature.com) Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London, who led the analysis, said in the university release that the trend toward obesity is “not inevitable” and that policy makers can intervene to stop and even reverse it. His statement was framed as a conclusion from long-running trend analysis rather than as proof that any single policy caused the change. (sciencemediacentre.org) ### Does a plateau mean the problem is easing? Dr. Marie Spreckley of the University of Cambridge said a plateau in a high-income country should not be read as evidence that the issue has been solved. In comments compiled by the Science Media Centre, she said the United Kingdom may be stabilising, but at a relatively high level compared with many other wealthy countries. (nature.com) STAT reported that in the United States, obesity has plateaued in children and adolescents but is still rising in adults, though more slowly than before. The outlet cited prevalence estimates of 20% to 23% for U.S. girls and boys and 40% to 43% for women and men, among the highest levels in high-income Western countries. (imperial.ac.uk) ### What comes next in Istanbul? ECO 2026 is scheduled to continue through May 15 in Istanbul under the European Association for the Study of Obesity. The congress program includes sessions on public health, childhood and adolescent obesity, and obesity management, with researchers and clinicians presenting additional findings before the meeting closes. (sciencemediacentre.org) (eco2026.org) (statnews.com)